


Gem of Earth

by iseemikimouse



Series: The Gems of Ma'at [1]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Elves, M/M, MAMA!AU, animal riders, bangtan too, it's just this massive mess of different kpop groups with exo being the main group, oh and kyungsoo too, sf9 is in here, someone please save kim nini from the idiots, why is this really long?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-09
Updated: 2017-10-09
Packaged: 2019-01-08 17:36:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 40,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12258954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iseemikimouse/pseuds/iseemikimouse
Summary: Kyungsoo needs to protect Ma’at in order to protect Ohri and Artio. It’s just the way it must be.





	1. Part 1.1

"I found a way home,” Luhan says in Kyungsoo’s head. “You guys need to come back.”

Kyungsoo’s back hits a tree as black dots begin to fill his vision. There’s a faint sound coming from somewhere behind him but he doesn’t turn around. He’s too busy with a mouth full of dirt to say he’s okay.

 _Soo!_ He hears another voice in his mind. _Are you alright?_

There’s a loud snarl coming from behind him as he stands. There’s something pressing against his fingertips before the feeling of a furry paw touches his fingers. He blinks a few times, the black dots becoming smaller but they don’t go away. The black in his vision clears enough to where he sees bright red fur of an animal and concerned yellow eyes staring at him. He sends a small smile before blinking to get rid of the black dots.

It takes a few minutes of constant blinking and deep breathes for his vision to return to normal. Kyungsoo knows he cannot get hit or hurt again because if he does, there’s a chance of getting seriously injured.

He tries to give his attention to the battle in front of him but there’s a low whine coming from next to him but to his right he sees the same bright yellow eyes staring at him.

“I’m fine, Dyo,” he mumbles to the bear standing to his right. “I’ll be sore for a bit, that’s all.”

Dyo rumbles as he continues to press his nose into Kyungsoo’s hand.

The first thing Kyungsoo sees are dead bodies from one enemy side. Their long hair is coiled around their throats as if someone tied a knot to stop them from breathing. He winces when he remembers seeing Baekhyun’s powerful illusions working while Zitao and Sehun wrapped the enemies’ hair around their throats.

His gaze sweeps over to the rest of the ongoing battle. Creatures with long hair and strange tattoos litter the area fighting against Kyungsoo’s friends. Sehun teams up with Baekhyun and Junmyeon to show deadly illusions filled with raging winds and angry waters.

_We need to leave. Luhan is calling us._

“I know,” Kyungsoo says. “We best get-”

Kyungsoo’s cut off by a familiar yelping sound coming from behind him. Kyungsoo turns around to see a large piece of debris hurtling towards Jongin, who is stuck in a fight between three natives of this world. Two wear long purple tunics and hold sickles and scythes, jabbing them towards both Jongin and the other long-haired native.

Without thinking, Kyungsoo summons a massive dirt wall erupting from the ground, covering only Jongin from harm. The debris hits and a large explosion of dirt come from the ground. He takes a step forward but in almost an instant, Jongin’s standing next to the dirt wall.

He looks around before spotting Kyungsoo and looking worried. It takes Kyungsoo a moment to remember he’s still lying on the ground, the rest of his body feeling light. Kyungsoo wills the dirt wall to leave and he nods, letting Jongin know everything is fine. Jongin sends a hesitant nod before he teleports himself away to where Kyungsoo can barely see him.

He places his hands on knees and takes in a couple of breaths. With a mixture of hitting his back against the tree and being in a different system, his magic is beginning to take its toll.

Dyo whines again, moving his body in front of Kyungsoo without telling him to get on. When Kyungsoo refuses, Dyo speaks.

 _Get on,_ he demands, _before you get hurt even more._

Kyungsoo says nothing when Dyo lowers himself. Digging his fingers into Dyo’s fur, he lifts himself over the animal and sits on his back. There’s a satisfied growl coming from underneath him as he tries to keep himself upright.

“It hurts,” he admits after a couple of seconds. “Why did I do this?”

 _I know. Keep locked on and we’ll go_.

Kyungsoo doesn’t say anything as Dyo begins to move.

Luhan’s call came at the right time. The toll from being in a different system has begun to really affect Kyungsoo’s fighting. He reaches towards his left arm to touch the armband sitting there to feel a small pulse of power emitting from it.

 _The others are coming,_ Dyo says. _I can see Mija above us._

Kyungsoo looks up to see a massive white and brown owl flying above them. “Liajeng?” he questions as Mija flies away.

_Not yet. Kris is still looking for Chanyeol. According to Liajeng, he already has Minseok and Jongdae._

Kyungsoo hums in approval. “We need to find Zitao. Head towards Jongin.”

Dyo changes his path quicker than Kyungsoo likes but he says nothing. As they run toward where Jongin is fighting, Kyungsoo turns his head looking for any sign of Zitao. Instead of finding one of their youngest, Kyungsoo finds nothing but piles of bodies, half of them sporting the same purple tunics as the bodies before and the other half with chopped off long hair and broken tattoos.

Everything started a few weeks ago when Zitao and Jongin went missing. No matter where Kyungsoo and the others looked, there was no sign of either male. Kyungsoo had kept looking until it was Junmyeon, Dyo, and him being taken to another system. It was only then did things begin to make sense.

A small group of high priests called out to the stars and asked for help to end a civil war occurring between two of these system’s largest kingdoms. They weren’t sure if their prayers would be answered but a couple of hours passed before Jongin and Zitao showed up.

It took a little while for the other members to get summoned as Kyungsoo and the others did. Once they were all on this planet, all the Gems agreed to help, because some of the members know how terrible war can be. Plans were made and some were used. It became apparent, a few days later, the high priests didn’t want to stop the war but to destroy to opposing side.

The moment when the truth came to light, the Gems left the temple they were staying at and hid from the priests, not wanting to be a part of something as horrid as mass murder. For days after, they tried to figure out how to stop the mass murder but nothing would work. Kris and Liajeng warned as many villages as they could but it was up to the villagers when and if they should leave their homes.

The priests got wind of their actions and decided to send assassins to kill the group. They hid in an abandoned temple and for the next couple of weeks, it became their makeshift home.

That morning, everyone had gone out to either collect supplies or take baths in a nearby river when the three animals, Liajeng, Mija, and Dyo, noticed sounds coming from a nearby clearing. This was how they got caught up in a battle which wasn’t theirs.

Dyo continues to run towards Jongin who stands in the middle of fallen bodies. He sees Kyungsoo and teleports on Dyo’s back. The bear makes a U-turn just as Jongin grips onto Dyo’s fur.

“Thanks,” he says.

Kyungsoo hums. “Not a problem,” the older replies. “Have you seen Zitao?”

“No.”

Kyungsoo squeezes his thighs and digs his fingers further into Dyo’s fur. The animal begins to sprint. “The quicker we find him, the faster we can get to Luhan.”

There’s a sudden rush of sound coming from above causing Dyo to look up, letting out a loud growl while changing his direction towards the abandoned temple.

For a moment, Kyungsoo is confused until he looks up and sees a small hand waving from the back of a dragon’s back. There’s odd sunset hair on the head of the waving hand’s body.

Zitao.

Liajeng flies ahead.

_Kris found Zitao not too far from where we are now. He decided to take him._

“And how is Liajeng handling the weight? Isn’t it too much?” Kyungsoo questions.

_No. You forget Liajeng is the strongest out of all us riding animals._

Kyungsoo doesn’t respond to Dyo and instead relays the message of Zitao to Jongin.

It becomes silent between them, the only sound coming from the hard footfalls of Dyo’s paws against the ground. The scenery of green and purple passes as the harsh light from the planet’s sun beats across their backs.

“You’re hurt,” Jongin says, gently poking at Kyungsoo’s back. “I saw you hit the tree.”

“I’m fine,” Kyungsoo promises. “I was able to control the hit a little.”

“But still you-”

“It’s not as bad as it looked, Jongin. I promise.”

Kyungsoo pictures Jongin’s pouting since he didn’t allow for Jongin to baby him a little. It puts a small smile on his face as the temple comes into view.

Hidden in a small corner of this world was a beautiful temple dedicated to a goddess. It’s assumed the temple had colors of blue and white, strong pillars holding various statutes of the deity. Around the temple, massive gardens filled the areas in which people were to admire the beauty of the temple.

Now it lays in ruins.

The once strong pillars which held statutes are broken, pieces of stone littering the ground. The massive gardens hold nothing but overgrown and dead plants. Purple vines wrap along the decaying stone buildings almost as if hiding the temple from the world. The path leading to the temple entrance is cracked like a god used a hammer and chisel to destroy it.

Kyungsoo and Jongin dismount Dyo, who walks silently behind them as they stand in front of the door. The door is rectangular with the phases of the moon painted on. It didn’t take everyone long to find out, the door held a lock which would come undone when the right phases of the moon were pressed.

Kyungsoo presses down on the picture of a new moon all the way to a full one. The lock clicks and the door opens.

What greets them is a massive hall with chipping paint. Some of the walls have massive cracks with roots of trees and other plants growing into the temple. Their shoes click against the uneven payment as they pass broken pillars and walls.

Kyungsoo heard chatter when he first opened the door but now there’s nothing but silence. They turn a corner to see Baekhyun’s hands followed by his body. Baekhyun smiles when he sees Kyungsoo.

“Hurry,” he says before turning away.

Kyungsoo hears Baekhyun shouting to everyone it’s just Kyungsoo and Jongin. They follow Baekhyun’s voice down the corridor to a large room they had been using as a meeting room.

The meeting room looks like a ritual room with the phases of moon painted across the stone walls. One wall has a picture of a beautiful woman who is tall and pale, much like the people of this planet. She holds a staff in her hand which is much taller than her. The ground is littered with withered petals of the plants who made their home in the temples. Much like the vines outside, purple covers the ceiling and with those who stretch across the high ceiling and archways.

“Kyungsoo!” someone shouts. “You’re just the person we need!”

Kyungsoo doesn’t even open his mouth when he’s suddenly being pulled by a man of the same height. He has lines running across his skin which follows his emotions, the lines currently glowing a bright red for excitement.

“Luhan!” Kyungsoo almost shouts, surprised the other grabbed him suddenly. Luhan pulls him into the middle of the room where Baekhyun is standing with closed eyes, his tattoos gleaming in sweat.

“Shush Kyungsoo,” Luhan says making Kyungsoo stand in front of Baekhyun. “It’s the only way we’ll be able to go home. I know we need to be summoned home but someone has to be on Hestia summoning us home.”

The room becomes silent as Luhan talks. “It’s the same way we got here and it’s the same way we’re going home.”

“Where’s here?” comes Jongdae’s voice.

“This is the planet of Remus in the system of Lupa and it’s a system a few light years away from ours. The people of Remus have been in a civil war for years with countless bloodshed on both sides. I believe their gods have abandoned this place and because of it, Remus is on the brink of dying.”

There’s a frown tugging at his lips and Kyungsoo pats him on the back. He knows how much Luhan hates it when people are fighting for stupid reasons.

“I know we have to sustain our own system, but there’s a little part of me wants to stay here and try to bring them peace.”

“There’s no way to bring them to reason, Lu,” Minseok says with a frown. “You can’t talk to people who don’t want to listen. It’s sad this system is going to lose cultures but unfortunately, it’s what’s going to happen to this planet.”

Luhan doesn’t say anything for a moment. “I know.”

“How do we get home?” Kyungsoo asks bringing the subject back to home. He wants nothing more than to let Dyo run free while he figures out the odd feeling in his gut before they left.

“Like I said, we need someone to summon us the same way we got summoned here.”

Baekhyun opens his eyes. “The reason we need you, Soo is because of Ohri. When we were summoned here, the priests had a piece of our system and they were able to take Zitao and Jongin. When you and Junmyeon were summoned, they were able to use Jongin and Zitao to the two of you. Dyo came along with you because you were out riding him, looking for Jongin.”

“What piece was used to bring Zitao and Jongin?” Junmyeon asks.

Baekhyun shakes his head. “I don’t know but it was something strong enough to summon two Gems.”

“It has to be the two of you because of your Life Trees,” Luhan cuts in bringing the conversation back to getting home.

Baekhyun closes his eyes once more. Kyungsoo looks skeptical until Baekhyun disappears.

“The hell?” Jongdae shouts cause Luhan to smile.

Before Kyungsoo can open his mouth, Luhan beats him to it.

“Before the start of this battle, I had been talking to Baekhyun about using Eurielle to summon him home. We tried it and it worked. Baekhyun prayed to Eurielle to take him home and once he was gone, I summoned him back. Since Kyungsoo has Ohri, we both figured it would work the same.”

“But we need to remember this. Kyungsoo and Baekhyun are summoning and its magic which can kill. Baekhyun is only able to summon half the group without it killing him. Kyungsoo will summon the other half once he’s on Hestia.”

“How is Baekhyun getting to Hestia?” Kyungsoo asks as Dyo walks up behind him, putting his nose to Kyungsoo’s hand. Kyungsoo glances to his riding animal before looking back to Luhan.

“Through the castle portal,” Luhan responds, his lines turning a more vibrant shade of red. “It’s not too far from Eurielle. Once he’s through, he’ll be able to summon those he’s assigned to. He’ll be summoning Minseok and the people of Aesir. You’ll need to summon the people of Vanir and me.”

 _We were summoned here and it makes sense for us to be summoned out of here,_ Dyo responds. _They’ve come up with a solid plan._

Kyungsoo nods. _I know_ , he replies mentally. _I’m only worried about going home._

_You don’t have to go home. Just pass through Artio and when we leave for Hestia and all will be well._

The others begin to chatter nervously with each other and Jongdae still gaping at the spot where Baekhyun stood. Kyungsoo notices their faces look drained. The different skin tones looking sickly and the bright colors of eyes looking dull. Kyungsoo shifts his gaze to the person in front of him.

Luhan stands there, his orange eyes peering into Kyungsoo’s dark ones waiting for an answer he doesn't know he’ll be getting. Kyungsoo stares at the lines running across Luhan’s face and arms. He sees the color red starting to turn dull.

Kyungsoo smiles softly.

“Of course, I’ll do it,” he says. “We’ve been away from Ma’at from too long. Who knows how much my gem is needing to gain its power back.”

The lines on Luhan’s face change from red to the brightest yellow Kyungsoo has seen.

“It’s not like I was going to say no, Lu,” Kyungsoo whispers. “I’m not mean.”

Luhan opens his mouth to say something only to be cut off by Junmyeon.

Junmyeon stands shorter than most of them but with his sun-kissed skin and sea green eyes, his authority over the Guardians makes up for his lack of height.

“Then we need to get ready,” he says, his eyes shifting to where Luhan and Kyungsoo stand. “If Baekhyun is already traveling on Hestia, then we need to get ready to leave. It’s the only way we won’t be missing anything.”

“Junmyeon’s right,” Kris says sitting on the back of his dragon. “We’re the type of people who leave things everywhere and who knows what we’ll be leaving behind this time.”

There’s a snort coming from someone standing behind Kyungsoo and by the sound of it, it came from Sehun. It’s not surprising to hear the Aetherian accent next.

“Hey, that was one time!” Sehun says his long body leaning across his owl, Mija. “I didn’t mean for somethin’ like that to happen.”

Mija lets out a coo.

Junmyeon lets out a dull stare. “You left behind your gem on a planet we knew nothing about.”

“Again, wasn’t my fault. Who knew that there be rabid war penguins on an ice planet. Besides, we all why Kris is agreein’ to you, Junmyeon. I swear y’all be fucking up a shit storm all the time. I don’t want to listen to y’alls nasty asses while y’all- Hey! Stop it! Mija!”

Kyungsoo holds back a laugh when he sees Mija pecking at Sehun’s head. It doesn’t take long before there’s laughter echoing across the room complete with Junmyeon’s blushing face and a bewildered look on Kris’s.

“Are we really loud?” he asks causing the room to laugh harder.

“The loudest!” Sehun shouts back after getting away from Mija’s pecking beak. “Maybe even louder than Minseok and Baek-”

Sehun freezes instantly just as the warm temperature drops. All eyes turn to Minseok whose white eyes shine brighter than before.

“I did nothing,” he says with a small smile. “But we should not be talking inappropriate thing especially about people’s private lives, Sehun. Look at poor Junmyeon. His face is like a tomato.”

There’s a squawk coming from Junmyeon as little snickers are heard throughout the room.

“Thaw out Sehun, Minseok,” Junmyeon says.

“Just for a little longer,” Minseok responds. “He needs to learn to keep his mouth shut.”

A coo echoes throughout the room.

“Well it’s best to thaw him out before Mija has a fit,” Jongdae says walking around the room and studying the symbols on the wall. “And we don’t want Mija to have a fit like last time, Minseok.”

Before Kyungsoo can finish listening, there’s a small tap on his shoulder and a content rumble coming from Dyo. Jongin stands behind them, his silver eyes filled with worry.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” he asks again.

Kyungsoo stares at him wondering where all the worry in Jongin’s body comes from. He opens his mouth to say he’s fine when Dyo begins to push on the spot where Kyungsoo sees black. Letting out a long hiss, Kyungsoo smacks his riding animal.

“Stop it,” he mumbles.

Let him take care of you. Please. Dyo whines. He’ll continuously hound you until you’ll let him take care of you. You know how he is Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo doesn’t say anything back to Dyo and instead looks to Jongin who still looks worried. He opens his mouth to say something when Jongin’s form begins to flicker a little bit. Startled, Kyungsoo jumps back. There are sounds of shock echoing throughout the room before half of the people in the room vanish.

“Baekhyun must have summoned them home,” Luhan says from the side before turning to Kyungsoo. “It’s your turn.”

There’s a moment of quiet silence echoing before relieved sighs are heard.

“I thought it was someone else,” Junmyeon says. “I almost forget we were waiting for Baekhyun to summon them.”

Kyungsoo keeps his eyes on Luhan before he nods and mounts his animal. With his eyes closed and his fingers in Dyo’s fur, he begins to pray to Ohri, his Life Tree.

He prays to Ohri asking for nothing else but to go home. He pictures the white leaves coming out from Ohri’s branches and the blue skies which go on forever. He begins to feel the soft breezes flowing through his hair and hears animals keening and cooing.

His body feels light, the same sensation he felt when he was summoned to Remus but it’s gone as fast as it came.

Dyo rumbles.

Kyungsoo opens his eyes, a surprised gasp leaving his mouth. He had no doubt about Luhan’s words but there was a part of him not wanting to believe it. Yet, here he is in front of Ohri, it’s white leaves glimmering brightly.

But the sight of Ohri isn’t what has Kyungsoo looking around with narrowed eyes. There’s something else.

Something dangerous.

Kyungsoo opens his mouth to say something but his words are lost when everything flashes around him and he’s in front of a giant castle. His castle. The Castle of Gems.

“Well, it worked,” Baekhyun’s voice says. “I wasn’t expecting Jongin to leave so suddenly when I suggested he teleport to Artio to fetch you.”

Kyungsoo whips his head around to see Jongin sitting behind him, a small blush filling his cheeks.

“I know you don’t like to go home,” he says.

Kyungsoo is stunned for a moment before a small smile pastes itself on his lips.

“Thank you,” he says as Jongin hops off Dyo’s back.

 _Did you feel something?_ Dyo asks.

 _I did. Something is happening at home._ Kyungsoo responds watching as Minseok finally defrosts Sehun. _I think we should go back._

_Do you think we should?_

The question echoes around Kyungsoo skull for a moment before he nods quickly.

_Yes. There’s something around Ohri and we need to see what it is._

Kyungsoo doesn’t hear Dyo’s response before there’s a rushing in his ears. His back begins to throb and his breath hitches. Black begins to fill his vision as sudden pain fills his body.

_-soo!_

He opens his mouth to respond but nothing comes out. His body falls onto Dyo’s back, his fingers turning a violent shade of white as he grips onto the bear’s fur.

_-ngsoo!_

He begins to feel it then, the loss of something within him. He feels his power beginning to slip away. It scares him as he begins to reach out to the power only to have it continue to slip.

_Kyungsoo!_

There’s a loud roar and Kyungsoo’s body feels normal. There’s no pain, no draining of power, no nothing.

He sits up.

 _Kyungsoo!_ Dyo shouts. _What’s going on!?_

Before he can answer, there are hands on his body shaking him. He looks up and sees silver.

“What happened!?” Jongin shouts causing Kyungsoo to wince. “You were screaming.”

Kyungsoo shakes his head and looks around. Chanyeol looks ready to bolt towards Kyungsoo while Minseok continues to run inside of the castle. Baekhyun and Sehun stand there looking scared. Yixing makes his way towards him.

“Kyungsoo,” he says, his voice soft. “Let me look you over.”

Kyungsoo shakes his head. “I need to bring the others. They’re waiting.”

Yixing shakes his head. “Not with you like this. Baekhyun can do it.”

Kyungsoo shakes his head again. “Summoning the rest might kill him and I don’t think Baekhyun or Minseok would like it. Remember Luhan’s warning about using too much magic.”

“You can’t,” Jongin agrees. “Not after whatever just happened.”

“I have to,” is all Kyungsoo says before he’s closing his eyes.

In the back of his mind, he hears Dyo telling him not to summon the others but he’s not listening. Instead, he thinks of others and their defining features, like Luhan’s emotion lines, Junmyeon’s sea green eyes, and Kris on top of Liajeng.

When Kyungsoo opens his eyes, the others show up. He smiles triumphantly, proud at the fact he could pull the others from Remus. He unmounts Dyo and walks to the others. Dyo follows rather angrily, shoving curses and worried eyes into Kyungsoo’s mind.

“See,” he says with a smile. “I told you everything was going to be okay.”

Jongin and Yixing eye him warily.

Luhan bounds over to Kyungsoo throwing his arms around his shoulders. “I thought you forgot about us,” he says.

Dyo stops pushing curses and eyes into his mind. Luhan hugs him a little tighter and Kyungsoo can feel the other entering his mind.

“Kyungsoo,” he says pulling away and keeping his hands on Kyungsoo’s shoulder. “What happened?”

“I don’t know.”

Luhan narrows his eyes and wraps his arms around Kyungsoo again. “Well thank you for not forgetting about us.”

Kyungsoo opens his mouth but nothing comes out. The rushing sound echoes through his ears again. Everything is like it was a few minutes before. His mouth lets out a scream. The feeling of Luhan’s arms around him disappear as he hits his back against something once again.

Black engulfs his vision leaving nothing but a small green light. He recognizes it as his power, his gem.

Kyungsoo reaches out towards it but he can’t touch it like last time.

“No!” he shouts.

The power begins to move away and Kyungsoo begins to chase it.

“No!” he shouts again. “NO!”

It moves faster now and Kyungsoo can’t catch up. The power vanishes within a couple seconds and Kyungsoo’s left in the dark.

For a moment, Kyungsoo opens his eyes to see blurry figures standing around him. There’s a horrible sound surrounding them and when he realizes it’s his screams, he blacks out again but this time with no green light.

 

 

The first time Kyungsoo wakes up he sees nothing. There’s no light only sound. He hears the deep breathes he recognizes is Dyo’s heavy breathing as he sleeps.

His body feels like lead and he can’t move. He makes a noise at the back of his throat and Dyo’s breathing stops.

 _Kyungsoo?_ he hears.

 _Dyo,_ comes Kyungsoo’s response but it’s the only thing he can say before he closes his eyes and black fills his vision again.

  


The second time Kyungsoo wakes up, Jongin’s face is in his. The younger looks startled over the fact that Kyungsoo woke up with him looking at his face. There’s a blush on his cheeks and before he opens his mouth to say anything, Kyungsoo blinks and the world turns dark once more.

  
  
The third time Kyungsoo wakes up, Yixing is standing at the foot of the bed, his eyes glowing a faint pink.

Yixing smiles to Kyungsoo.

“The next time you wake,” he says. “Will be the time you’ll stay awake.”

Kyungsoo hums in acknowledgment before shutting his eyes once more.

 

 

When Kyungsoo wakes up for the fourth time, he feels better than before. He’s alone in his room, a blanket tucked under his arms.

Sitting up, he expects wobbly arms but is surprised to find them feeling normal like nothing ever happened.

But what did happen?

Thinking about it causes his mind to hurt and to feel the ghost of pain against his skin. His body begins to shake and instantly, Kyungsoo pushes it out of his mind.

He wraps his arms around his body and looks around his room. It looks the same with three earthen walls and where the fourth wall should be, there’s nothing. Instead, it’s the Hestian plains which stretch for miles and miles.

Kyungsoo kicks off his blanket and begins to stand. His legs feel heavy but like his arms, he's surprised when the feeling vanishes and he's able to stand properly. He takes a hesitant step forward before taking another step and another. There's a sigh of relief passing through his lips and before he knows it, Kyungsoo is standing in what’s left of his room before it becomes the outside.

The door opens just as he takes a step and feels the grass in between his toes.

“You’re up!” comes Jongin’s voice. “Yixing did say the next time you woke up everything would be okay.”

“Did he?” Kyungsoo asks turning around and watching the other man.

Jongin comes in with a stack of towels and places them on top of Kyungsoo’s bed. He walks up to Kyungsoo and places a hand on his forehead.

“Yes,” he says placing the same hand on his cheek. “He didn’t say when it was though. You’d been asleep for a long time and Baekhyun was beginning to call you a Sleeping Asshole.”

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes at Jongin’s comment. “He’s the ass.” Something clicks. “How long have I been out?”

Jongin hesitates. “A month.” Kyungsoo’s jaw drops. “We didn’t know what was wrong. Yixing still doesn't know what’s wrong and everyone's been worried. Even Baekhyun despite him being an ass about it.”

“A month?” Kyungsoo repeats.

“Yes, a month,” Jongin repeats as he walks to the opening in Kyungsoo room and calls towards the plains. DYO!”

"I don’t understand.”

“And neither do we. But you’re awake now and you’re okay so that’s good,” the younger says as he turns around and smiles. “You don’t have a fever like last time and you haven’t been screaming this week, so you’re doing okay. How are you feeling?”

It takes a moment for Jongin’s words to sink in. A small blush appears on Kyungsoo’s skin. “I feel okay,” he says looking towards the plains and seeing a large figure walking. “But there’s something missing. Part of me feels empty.”

Jongin clears his throat just as the massive figure in the distance begins to run towards them.

“What do you mean empty?” Jongin asks.

“Empty,” Kyungsoo responds. “Just empty. I feel fine but I don’t feel right. It’s almost like a part of myself is missing.”

Jongin opens his mouth but shuts it the moment a giant red ball of fur comes rushing at Kyungsoo. He takes a step back and watches as the other gets tackled in a literal bear hug.

Kyungsoo laughs as he tumbles to the ground with Dyo on top of him. The large animal cushioning their fall to make sure Kyungsoo didn't get hurt again. There's a smile on Kyungsoo’s face when he smells the woodsy scent coming from his riding animal.

 _You’re awake!_ Dyo shouts in Kyungsoo’s mind. _And you’re okay!_

Kyungsoo smiles. “I’m awake. Was it really a month?”

 _Yes!_ Dyo shouts again, his body beginning to shake. It takes a couple of seconds before Kyungsoo realizes Dyo is purring. _I was so worried Kyungsoo. So worried. At first, I thought something terrible had happened to you but when you opened your eyes for the first time, I figured everything was fine but then the fevers started and your screaming. Oh Kyungsoo, please don’t scream like that again._

Kyungsoo sends a small smile. “I’m sorry,” he says but Dyo doesn’t hear him. He’s too busy rambling on and on about the things which have been happening since Kyungsoo has been asleep.

He looks towards Jongin who's grinning as he looks at the scene in front of him.

“He missed you,” Jongin says. “Wouldn’t leave the room. I think Mija and Liajeng forced him out a couple of days ago. All I know is there was a lot of snarling, growling, and whimpering.”

Kyungsoo runs his fingers through Dyo’s fur.

“I’m sure,” he whispers. “Dyo and I have been together for a while. I found out long ago he’s super protective of me.”

 _You’re not listening anymore, are you?_ Dyo sends him. _Here I was, worried out of my mind and you’re not giving me the time of day. You would much rather listen to the deep timber of Jongin’s voice than mine, wouldn’t you?_

At Dyo’s words, Kyungsoo’s face flushes.

_Shut up._

Dyo sends a grin.

“Kyungsoo,” Jongin calls out and he does indeed like the deep timber of Jongin’s voice and the way his mouth curves when he calls his name.

 _Jongin’s calling you,_ Dyo snickers.

Kyungsoo feels his face flush more. “Yes?” he answers.

“Was there anything you needed? I should have asked you before I called Dyo. It’s just he was worried and he made me promise I would call him if you woke up. He’s been like a worried mother bear since Mija and Liajeng forced him out. You have no idea how much he kept coming here to make sure you weren’t up,” Jongin rants, his face beginning to turn red from all the words coming out of his mouth. “He and Yixing kept coming in here and-” Jongin stops his rant and looks at Kyungsoo with wide eyes. “I need to get Yixing!”

Kyungsoo hides his laughter. “I’ll go with you. I need to walk and not stay in this room.”

“It’s more like a cave,” Jongin blurts out.

It’s silent for a moment minus the heavy breathing of Dyo.

 _Well, it is a cave,_ Dyo laughs as bends a little for Kyungsoo to mount him. _Get on. I don’t want to you to fall or something._

Kyungsoo does what he told and gets on Dyo’s back while Jongin leads them out.

If there's anything Kyungsoo really likes about the Castle of Gems, it’s how different every part of the castle is. Most of the wings in the castle echo a planet in their system, Ma’at, while the rest holds libraries, sitting rooms, and gardens.

The system of Ma’at is the home to eleven different planets including Hestia, twenty moons, and two suns. However, Hestia isn’t included in the division of the planets, the Vanir and the Aesir were five planets on each side reside.

The Vanir planets include the thunder world of Ukko, the island world of Sinann, the healing world of Pinga, the forest world of Artio, and the snowy world of Khione. These planets share a similar disbelief in an ancient deity known as Mama, the Life Tree.

The Aesir planets share the same belief in Mama and they are the sky world of Aether, the volcanic world of Ravi, the mountainous world of Mielikki, the earthen world of Geb, and where everything mixes the world of Muse.

No one knows when the planets were torn apart as they have made it hard for anyone planet to trade outside of their division. Kyungsoo was always told he should never befriend anyone from an Aesir planet but here he is talking and laughing with people from the Aesir planets. Hell, he even likes a person from the Aesir.

Kyungsoo smiles for a moment at the thought of liking someone. He throws a quick glance at Jongin noticing the faint blush on his cheeks. Chuckling quietly, Kyungsoo smiles.

It’s quiet between the three of them with the only sound being Dyo’s footfalls. It doesn’t take long for the riding animal to start purring in contentment. Kyungsoo smile widens.

“I’m sorry to have worried you guys,” he says keeping his eyes to the front as Dyo trots.

Jongin hums. “I know. It was scary seeing you just fall and scream.”

Kyungsoo turns his head and stares at Jongin. There’s something in the tone of his voice which has him wondering what Jongin isn’t saying.

A month is a long time for something not to happen and the way the Mielikkian’s face is pale and his long hair wrapped messily in a bun tell him he’s right.

“Jongin,” Kyungsoo says. “What has happened since I’ve been down?”

Jongin’s eyes widen a little before he’s turning his head to the side and watching at the stone walls pass.

For a moment, Kyungsoo fears Jongin won’t answer him but the way his shoulders begin to deflate tells Kyungsoo otherwise.

“It hasn’t been good,” he says. “Things aren’t like they were before we were summoned to Remus.”

Kyungsoo raises a brow. “What do you mean?”

Jongin looks at Kyungsoo, his face grim. “Yixing should tell you.”

“Jongin.”

The younger shakes his head and walks. He puts his hand on Dyo’s fur, his fingers digging into it much like Kyungsoo’s.

Like Kyungsoo’s room, the Artioian section of the Castle of Gems has three walls and an empty space where the last wall should be. The moment they take a step in another corridor, Kyungsoo glances outside seeing trees taking the empty spots were his plain has very little. His eyes drift back to where Jongin walks next to Dyo’s massive form.

Jongin, the single Mielikkian inside of the castle looks stunning to Kyungsoo. Coming from one of the plain states of Mielikki, his tanned skin looks a little darker than usual making Jongin seem more Mielikkian. Even his pointed ears, which give away his home, doesn’t make him seem so. Strands of his long blonde hair are beginning to fall out of his bun, making him seem more like the plain Mielikkian he’s supposed to be.

Or maybe it’s the fact Kyungsoo hasn’t seen Jongin in a while and Kyungsoo likes this Jongin as much as normal Jongin. He doesn’t mind the Jongin always has his hair against his back and stands up straight like a doll but seeing Jongin more at ease is always the best.

Kyungsoo doesn’t think when he opens his mouth. “Why don’t you put your hair in a bun more often?” he asks.

Dyo stops purring as if wanting to hear what Jongin says.

Jongin doesn’t answer for a couple of minutes, the scenery changing from the outdoors to the Pinga part of the castle. The missing wall is no longer missing but the earthen walls turn to stone. The stone walls are painted a pastel lilac color with torches screwed into the walls casting an orange hue on the light colored walls.

“It’s a sign of weakness,” he says. “Any time a male Mielikkian hair is up, it’s a sign of weakness. It doesn’t matter what part of Mielikki you’re from, the men are taught to be strong in any relationship. We have different images uphold and we cannot lose sight of them. Long hair symbolizes power.”

Kyungsoo nods. He’s heard how hard the Mielikki are on their men and boys. Some of Jongin’s scars are proof, but he never thought about a hairstyle showing strength.

“Why is your hair up now, then?”

At Kyungsoo’s question, Jongin’s face goes bright red and Dyo makes almost like he’s laughing out loud.

 _You’re playing dumb now, aren’t you?_ Dyo asks.

Kyungsoo huffs. “I’m not.”

 _It seems like it._ Dyo turns his head to where Jongin is walking beside him. _Jongin tell Kyungsoo the other reason why Mielikki men put up their hair._

“He can’t-” Kyungsoo begins.

“I’d rather not,” Jongin says his face getting brighter.

Kyungsoo’s eyes widen, stunned. His gaze travels from Jongin to Dyo in amazement and wonder. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Dyo is an Artioian riding bear. He’s only supposed to communicate with his rider and other riding animals. No one else.

“How?” he questions. “How is this possible?”

Jongin only smiles and points to Yixing’s door. “Maybe later,” he says, the relief of not explaining the other reason why Mielikki men’s hair goes up or why he can hear what Dyo is saying when it’s directed at him. “I’ll tell you both things later. Okay?”

Kyungsoo narrows his eyes as Jongin knocks on Yixing’s door. “Somehow I don’t believe you.”

Jongin lets out a laugh. “I know.”

Kyungsoo opens his mouth just as the door opens and Yixing appears. The Piiot’s eyes look sad when they see Jongin but the moment they see Kyungsoo sitting on Dyo’s back, they light up.

“I told you,” he said opening his door more, “the next time you woke up everything was going to be okay. Look at you, you’re bickering with Jongin while Dyo is most likely laughing about the things you two do. It’s wonderful to see you up and running like normal.”

Kyungsoo smiles at the other. “It nice to be up and not laying down,” he says stepping onto the ground with Jongin’s help.

Yixing looks up and down Kyungsoo’s body making the Artioian feel like a little kid going to the doctor for the first time.

“Now let’s have a look to make sure everything is okay.”

The Piiot’s room looks like an office instead of a room. The walls are pearl white with different pictures of Pinga’s flora tacked to the wall. Underneath those pictures are bookshelves filled with books of assorted sizes and colors. Bookmarks hang in the middle of some while cluttered paper appears in others. The floor which is supposed to be a cream marble is covered with stacked books towering over the medium size Pinga man. There’s small bed shoved into one of the corners near a table filled with papers, beakers, and other things Kyungsoo can’t seem to figure out.

“Sit on the bed,” Yixing instructs. “I need to look for the book.”

Jongin and Kyungsoo make their way into the room, leaving Dyo to sit at the door his head peeking in. Jongin pushes Kyungsoo to sit on the bed and he begins to feel like a doll. Yes, he understands he’s been asleep for a month and the way he’s perfectly normal is strange but please, let him walk on his own. He has two legs, he can walk and do things by himself.

But he doesn’t say anything and instead sits on the bed, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Don’t give me that look,” Jongin says. “I know what you’re trying to do.”

“I’m not giving you any look,” Kyungsoo retorts. “I’m just doing what Yixing told me to do.”

The Mielikkian rolls his eyes. “You’re crossing your arms over your chest because you don’t like how we’re treating you. I figured it was almost time for you to get fed up.”

Kyungsoo stares at Jongin when he gives him the most accurate thing about himself. Yes, he‘s fed up but how does Jongin know this?

The Artioian opens his mouth to say something but Yixing comes back with a book in his hand. He hands it to Jongin and motions for Kyungsoo to lay down.

“I know you’re sick of laying down, most likely,” Yixing starts. “But I need to make sure your insides are okay.”

Kyungsoo lays down and Yixing places a hand over his body. Blue and gold eyes begin to glow a soft shade of pink as Yixing’s hand slowly moves down Kyungsoo’s body.

“Jongin said you would explain what he couldn’t explain to me,” Kyungsoo says after Yixing passes over his face.

Yixing pauses his movements.

“I suppose so but we’ll begin with your body.” Yixing starts again. “Whatever happened to you, doesn’t make sense. You’ve been out for a month. How are you walking and behaving normally? The reason for the babying is because I instructed Dyo to make sure you didn’t walk all here in case Jongin decided to come with you. You rode Dyo like you weren’t sick but I don’t understand.

“You had fevers so high I feared your heart was going to stop but nothing happened. Your fevers broke within a couple of hours of each other before they started again. And you were screaming. You were screaming so loud and your body began reacting to them. Every time you screamed it was like you were having a seizure.”

Kyungsoo blinks at the words Yixing is telling him. He knew it was strange for him to be up and about like he is but he knew nothing about his screams and his fevers. Jongin and Dyo had mentioned the screams but it went in one ear and out the other. It wasn’t until Yixing explained happened to him did the fact he was screaming while he was out making sense.

“It’s almost magical,” Yixing continues. “Almost like it has something to do with what happened.”

Kyungsoo narrows his eyes. “Are you going to tell me now?”

Yixing doesn’t say anything as he finishes up checking over Kyungsoo. His blue and gold eyes stop glowing and Yixing looks to Jongin, taking the book out of his hand. He reads over the paper long enough for Kyungsoo to sit up and glare at the Piiot.

“You’re not talking,” he says.

“Kyungsoo,” Jongin says. “This isn’t-”

“Shush Jongin,” Yixing says. “I’ll tell him.”

Jongin looks at Yixing for a couple of minutes before walking over to where Dyo hasn’t moved from the doorway. Again, he laces his fingers through Dyo’s fur.

“Kyungsoo,” Yixing begins and the said male gives his attention to the doctor. “When everything started, your body began to glow green.”

Kyungsoo looks down to his hands. “Green?”

“Yes, like your gem. You were emitting powerful waves which kept pushing Jongin and me away from you. That’s when the screaming started. You sounded pained like someone was ripping your soul out and there’s was nothing we could do. The defense around your body was too strong.”

Kyungsoo looks up. In the back of his mind, he sees the green light perfectly. He remembers trying to reach out but to no avail could he do such a thing. It kept moving away from him.

“Once your screaming stopped,” Yixing’s voice pulls Kyungsoo out of his memory. “The defense around your body went down and you laid there, still. Dyo wouldn’t let anyone near you and his eyes were glowing green like yours do when you access power from your gem.”

Kyungsoo reaches over to where his armband would be on his arm to find nothing. He looks at his arm.

“Where’s my gem?” he asks panic seeping into his voice.

 _Kyungsoo breathe_ , Dyo’s voice comes. _Let Yixing finish explaining._

Yixing keeps his mouth shut until Kyungsoo looks at him, fear creeping into his mind. Yixing continues.

“When we finally got Dyo calm enough, you started screaming again but this time your body convulsed. We had to hold you down before you broke something. You opened your eyes this time but they were unseeing and glowing a bright green I had never seen before.”

Kyungsoo’s panic and fear begin to take over his body. Jongin races to Kyungsoo as Dyo begins to growl.

“Kyungsoo, did you see something?” Yixing asks. “We need to know if you saw something.”

“I saw a light,” Kyungsoo wheezes out, his body beginning to tremble. “Green light.”

“Could you touch it?”

Jongin places a hand on Kyungsoo’s shoulder and instantly his reaction stops. Yixing watches them with a careful eye.

“I could at first,” Kyungsoo admits. “But the second time I began to feel pain, I couldn’t. I tried and I chased the green light but nothing happened. No matter how fast I ran, there wasn’t anything I could do.

Yixing doesn’t say anything and instead rushes to his books. He doesn’t say anything as he sifts through the stack of papers on his desk.

“Yixing what’s going on?” Kyungsoo asks.

“I don’t know,” he says. “But something tells me it has to do with this.”

A small sound escapes Yixing’s lips as he lifts a small box from his desk. Carefully, he walks back over to Kyungsoo and Jongin.

“I think,” he says, “I think it may have something to do with why this happened.”

Yixing hands Kyungsoo the box. It’s simple in design with no engraved features. The only thing on the box is a golden latch. The size of the box is what has Kyungsoo gripping onto it tightly. It’s almost the same size as the box he has in his room to hold his armband when he’s not wearing it.

“Where’s my gem?” he whispers hoping it’s not in the box. Fear once again begins to spread in his body. If his feeling is right, then the box holds what he’s looking for and he knows he’s not going to happy at what he finds.

“Open the box,” Yixing says.

The latch goes up and the box opens.

Sitting on a little red pillow is Kyungsoo’s gold armband. The band is a basic one until it gets to the front. Gold leaves form a caste to hold Kyungsoo’s gem. The gem is there round and beautiful like Kyungsoo remembers but the color is wrong and there’s no power coming from it.

Suddenly Kyungsoo is reminded of when he woke up. He felt empty and useless. He still feels empty and staring at him is the gem that’s no longer green. Kyungsoo knows what the green light was.

“It’s black,” he says. “The gem is black.”

“I had a theory,” Yixing says, “but I didn’t share it with anyone. I didn’t want to frighten anyone with it.”

Kyungsoo shakes his head.

“When we saw the green light coming from your body-”

“It was the power of the gem coming out,” Kyungsoo finishes for Yixing and Yixing nods.

“For some reason, all the power of your gem came out of your body. It took a month for all of the power to come out which explains the fevers and the screaming.”

“But why?” Jongin asks when Kyungsoo stares at the black gem. “Why to just Kyungsoo?”

“I don’t know,” Yixing says with a sigh. He sits on the floor and crosses his legs. “I’ve been trying to figure it out since everything happened. You’re the only one who knows what I was thinking because you stumbled on me studying the gems. I can’t find anything pertaining why Kyungsoo’s body shot out the gem’s power.”

Kyungsoo stops listening then. Things are beginning to add up but nothing's making sense. He’s never heard of anyone ever losing the power of the gem. Even when Hongki passed the Gem of Earth to him, nothing was said about losing the gem’s power.

His mind begins to shut down.

He’s lost the power of the Gem of Earth.

 _Dyo,_ he calls out. _Dyo I’m scared._

Dyo says nothing but makes a high pitched whining sound at the back of his throat. At the sound, Jongin wraps an arm around Kyungsoo’s shoulder and pulls him in his embrace. He sighs staring at the box in hand.

Yixing opens his mouth to say something but shuts it the moment he looks at Kyungsoo’s distress. “Why don’t you get some rest Kyungsoo? You’ll feel better afterward.”

“But, I’ve been resting. I’ve bee-”

“I know, but you still need rest from your rest. It’s best this way. Plus, doctor’s orders.”

Kyungsoo makes a noise at the back of his throat but stands up nonetheless, Jongin standing with him.

“Jongin,” Kyungsoo says, “I think it would be better for you to stay here. I need a moment to myself.”

There’s a look on Jongin’s face which screams he wants to argue but instead of voicing out what he wants, he smiles softly and nods his head. “At least, let me walk you to your room.”

Kyungsoo opens his mouth to say no but there’s a familiar grunt coming from Dyo forcing him to say yes. With a pained smile, Kyungsoo nods.

He walks out of the room and begins to mount Dyo.

“Soo,” Yixing calls out, the Piiot standing at the door with his arms crossed over his chest. “I’m trying my best to figure out what’s going on. As soon as I have something, you’ll be the first to know.”

Kyungsoo nods and Dyo leaves Yixing’s room.

“I didn’t know how to tell you,” Jongin says after a couple of moments. “Because I didn’t believe it myself. You can’t just lose the power of the gem like that. It’s unheard of. It-”

Jongin’s cut off by a low growl. He looks to Dyo who Kyungsoo can imagine is sending death glares to the younger boy.

“I’m just saying,” he mumbles reaching out for Dyo’s fur.

Kyungsoo doesn’t want to think anymore. He doesn’t want to hear anything concerning the gem. Maybe Yixing is right. Maybe everything will seem better once he gets some rest. He leans forward and places the rest of his body against Dyo’s back.

 _Soo?_ Dyo calls out.

“I’m going to rest,” is all he says before he closes his eyes and tries to fall asleep.

He’s almost asleep when he hears Jongin’s voice.

“Do you think he’ll be alright, Dyo? This is something important.” Jongin asks. He pauses as if listening to what the bear is saying. “And you think it would be best to ask him on a date? To take his mind off things? Are you insane, Dyo? Kyungsoo would have my head for a silly question like that. This isn’t the time to be asking for dates.”

He falls silent.

“Even better. Telling him the other meaning of putting my hair up or why I can hear you?”

He’s quiet again.

“Yes, Dyo,” Jongin says sarcastically. “It’s a very good idea. Tell Kyungsoo to travel to Mielikki and ask Mielikki men why putting your hair up is common for couples.”

Oh.

_Oh._

Kyungsoo heart begins to flop and butterflies fill his stomach. He wants to shout he’s awake, he’s listening to what Jongin is saying, and now he understands the other meaning of a Mielikki man’s hair going up. However, Kyungsoo knows how Jongin will react and he doesn’t want to scare the poor Mielikkian into asking what Kyungsoo’s been waiting for.

 _Sleep, Soo._ Dyo’s voice comes causing him to almost flinch. _You can worry about Jongin and his feelings after you get some rest._

Kyungsoo squeezes his eyes shuts and listens to the deep timber of Jongin’s voice. Before he knows it, he’s asleep.

 


	2. 1.2

Kyungsoo wakes up to the sound of birds chirping and a low growl. He turns on his bed and tries to turn away from the noise only to have the low growl grow louder than before. Soon the growl is a full-on roar. Kyungsoo springs from his bed and stares at the masked person in front of him.

“What?” he shouts and kicks the person.

Dyo barrels towards the person in front as Kyungsoo moves away. Out of habit, he reaches for his gem only to remember the events of the several past days. He hisses and instead turns around and grabs the only weapon he’ll use, a massive war hammer.

The hammer itself has a bright green handle, wrapped in a cloth that wouldn’t tear Kyungsoo’s hand. The head of the hammer is made from Artioian steel, some of the hardest metal in Ma’at. Designs of bears and owls decorate two sides of the hammer while the others remain blank. In height, Kyungsoo’s hammer is half of Kyungsoo’s height, reaching his waist if it was standing on its head.

It’s heavy in Kyungsoo’s hands but not too much. He swings it the moment his hands wrap around the anti-skin shredding cloth before moving to where he hears Dyo fighting.

He spins around when there’s a grunt coming from Dyo and Kyungsoo goes to help only to be held back by a couple of arms.

“We’re not here to hurt you, Lord Kyungsoo,” a voice whispers in his ear. “We’re only here to talk.”

Kyungsoo narrows his eyes and swings his hammer at the person only for him to jump away. The person is in a low crouch as if he’s assessing the situation. He too wears a mask covering all but his eyes. Eyes that look almost too familiar to Kyungsoo.

This causes him to pause in his movements.

 _Kyungsoo!_ Dyo shouts and he whirls around, slamming his hammer into another guy’s arm.

“Rowoon!” someone yells just as the guy screams in pain followed by a loud howl.

_Soo they’re shifters!_

Kyungsoo looks in bewilderment as he watches another person pop out of nowhere and shifts into a bear, the same size as Dyo.

 _Shifters are from Artio._ Kyungsoo shouts as the crouching guy stands up and begins to tackle Kyungsoo. _Why are people from home attacking us?_

_Why would I know? I’ve already called for Jongin and the others._

Kyungsoo doesn’t say anything and focuses on the man in front of him. He’s a skilled fighter, that much Kyungsoo can tell. He dodges all the kicks and swings of the hammer Kyungsoo sends towards him but fortunately, he’s not at Kyungsoo’s level of fighting just yet.

“You fight well,” Kyungsoo says. “But it’s not good enough.”

He moves faster than he did before, swinging his hammer and his legs out at separate times. There’s a solid blow to Kyungsoo’s side which has him squeezing his hammer tighter than normal. Placing the head of the hammer to the ground and using his upper body strength, Kyungsoo whirls around, his feet slamming into the man’s face. He falls but doesn’t get up.

There’s another yelp coming from behind him causing him to turn around. Dyo is in a fierce battle between the bear shifter and for the first time Kyungsoo has seen, it looks like Dyo is losing. He wants to help but there’s for him to do. He’s afraid to swing his hammer in fear of hitting Dyo and breaking something.

But Kyungsoo doesn’t have to do anything because the bear is flung away from Dyo and the giant animal vanishes. The bear shifter shifts back into its human form.

Their battle is over.

“Kyungsoo!” Jongin’s shouts as Luhan runs over.

“Are you hurt?” Luhan asks looking over Kyungsoo’s body. “Jongin heard Dyo’s call and grabbed me on the way out of the dining hall.”

Kyungsoo opens his mouth to say he’s okay when a wolf walks out from behind a tree, a falcon lands on top of the wolf’s head, and a lion follows behind.

He has an idea. One he hopes is wrong but an idea nonetheless. He would need to see something first. A marking these people would have to identify themselves.

Luhan opens his palms as if to begin attacking. “Who are you!?” he shouts as Kyungsoo makes his way over to one of the fallen warriors.

Kyungsoo looks around the man’s body to find only black clothes and a black mask. There’s nothing symbolizing who these people are. But even if there’s nothing on the outside doesn’t mean there’s nothing on the skin.

Kyungsoo rolls up one of the sleeves and sees, a griffin tattooed onto his skin.

Bingo.

“Luhan stop,” Kyungsoo says pulling off the mask. He winces when he recognizes the face. “They’re not here to hurt us.”

_Soo?_

_It’s the Temple, Dyo._

“He’s right, you know,” a voice says and Kyungsoo looks to the newcomers. “We’re not here to hurt Lord Kyungsoo.”

Kyungsoo narrows his eyes at the voice.

“Park Jimin,” Kyungsoo says.

There’s rustling heard just as the lion kneels to show a man on the lion’s back. The man has bright pink hair and looks rather tiny sitting on the massive lion. He dismounts the lion and fixes his long yellow cloak that’s mere inches from touching the ground.

“Hello Lord Kyungsoo,” Jimin says with a bow, his pink hair moving with his movements. “It’s nice to see you again.”

Kyungsoo leans against his hammer. “I would say it’s nice to see you too but I don’t want to lie.”

Jimin’s eyes crinkle into little moons. “I’m sure that’s the case.” He turns to the other animals. “Inseong, Namjoon, please check on the others. The Gem’s Guardians do know how to protect themselves.”

Kyungsoo blinks at the names.

The falcon and the wolf shift into two people. One having tanned skin, icy blue eyes, and white hair. The other with pale skin, yellow-orange eyes, and dark hair. Kyungsoo recognizes one and assumes the other.

“Inseong,” he says nodding to the man with icy blue eyes.

Inseong’s eyes narrow for a moment before a big goofy grin stretches on his features.

“Hello, my lord,” he says with a laugh. “I hope you’re doing well.”

Kyungsoo hesitates for a moment before smiling. “You can say that.”

But Kyungsoo hesitated for a moment too long causing Inseong’s eyes to narrow. Kyungsoo freezes at the sight of Inseong’s narrowed eyes. He looks away and mumbles under his breath.

“I’ll tell you in a little bit,” he says as Dyo makes his way to Kyungsoo.

 _Oh Inseong,_ Dyo says sitting next to Kyungsoo. _I didn’t know he joined the Temple._

 _I didn’t either,_ Kyungsoo responds as he watches Inseong and Namjoon walk over to check on their fallen members before turning his attention back to Jimin.

Kyungsoo has never been a huge fan of Park Jimin. As one of the most powerful men inside of the Temple, he has always been shown as someone who’s kinder than most but for some reason, it has never sat well with Kyungsoo. There’s always been something about Park Jimin and Kyungsoo can’t seem to figure it out.

“Why are the Warriors from the Temple here?” Kyungsoo asks, not taking his eyes off Jimin who’s only smiling.

“We would like to talk to you,” Jimin replies petting his lion. “I thought it would be obvious.”

Kyungsoo snorts. “Yes, well. You could have asked to talk and not have tried to kidnap me. I feel bad for Rowoon and Dawon. I didn’t mean to hit Rowoon so hard, he just surprised me.”

“If you would like to talk,” Jongin says walking up behind Kyungsoo and grabbing onto the back of Kyungsoo’s shirt, letting him know he has his back in case of an attack. Kyungsoo smiles at this. “We can talk inside. However, the men who tried to attack Kyungsoo will be our prisoners until determined they didn’t mean to cause harm.”

There’s a tick in Jimin’s jaw and Kyungsoo’s grin gets wider. He loves pissing off Park Jimin.

“Fine,” Jimin responds through clenched teeth.

Jongin grins and nods.

“I’ll cuff them!” Luhan shouts as his facial lines turning yellow. “I’ve always wanted to something like this!”

Kyungsoo hears a snort.

“And you look excited for this,” Inseong’s voice comes.

“Yes!”

Kyungsoo sighs and picks up his war hammer before mounting Dyo. Jongin mounts behind him and wraps his arms around Kyungsoo’s waist. Kyungsoo’s face flushes as Inseong catches his eye. The falcon shifter raises a brow at the reaction before a shit eating grin reaches across his face.

 _Why is Inseong grinning like that?_ Dyo asks.

 _I don’t know what you’re talking about_ , Kyungsoo replies at the same time Luhan says he’s going to be leading and instructs them to close their mini precession.

Namjoon shifts into his wolf form while Inseong grabs the unconscious bodies of the others and places them on either Namjoon’s or Jimin’s lion’s back. Luhan begins to lead the way into the castle.

“What’s the Temple?” Jongin asks as Dyo begins to move.

“The Temple of Life is the full name,” Kyungsoo says, his attention not on the people in front of him but on the arms around his waist. They feel almost like they belong there. Just the thought brings a deeper flush to his face. “A-and instead of calling them the Temple of Life, we just call it the Temple.”

“We’re basically,” Inseong cuts in with the same silly grin on his face, “the protectors of Ohri. Well some of us are.”

Jongin looks to Inseong who smiles brighter. “And you are?”

“Kim Inseong, the one person who had to deal with a teenage Do Kyungsoo and man was that a time to watch over the little lord.”

“Oh,” Jongin says tightening his hold on Kyungsoo’s waist a little more.

“It’s nice to see you again, Dyo,” Inseong says to the bear. “I hope you’ve been watching over our little lord well enough.”

Dyo sends Inseong a dirty look causing Kyungsoo to laugh. _Go eat dirt or something,_ Dyo says causing Kyungsoo to stifle another chuckle.

“Gods, Inseong,” Kyungsoo says. “What did you do to Dyo for him to still not like you?”

Inseong crosses his arms over his chest and juts out his bottom lip. “I didn’t do anything. He just doesn’t like me. Make him like me, Soo.”

Kyungsoo snorts. “No.”

“What do you mean only some?” Jongin cuts in, not liking how close Inseong and Kyungsoo are.

“The Temple,” Kyungsoo starts, holding in a laugh at Jongin’s reaction, “is divided into two divisions, the Warriors, and the Scholars. Since there are three races main races on Artio, there’s no division among the ranks."

Jongin furrows his brow. “What?”

“Let’s use Jimin and his team. Jimin is a lion rider, Inseong is a falcon shifter, and if Yoongi is still with Jimin then he would be one of the mages. Jimin’s team is a part of the Warrior division and they do all the footwork? I think it’s the best way to put it. They’re the ones completing the missions the Scholars and the World Council gives.”

Jongin nods his head and places it against Kyungsoo’s back. “Makes sense,” he says. “The Warriors are almost like your military.”

“We’re not,” Inseong says. “We only act when anything pertaining to Ohri comes up. There are only four warrior teams with seven to ten people inside of each time. We’re one of the smaller teams but the Scholars, are many. Almost too many but they’re needed.”

 _Kyungsoo,_ Dyo says quickly. _If the Temple Warriors are here, it means something happened to Ohri._

Something clicks in the back of Kyungsoo’s brain.

_It might have to do something with what happened a month ago. Remember when we came back?_

_I do. Do you? I know it hurts to remember what happened a month ago._

_Barely but I remember feeling something was wrong with Ohri._

_It might be why they’re here, Soo. Something is wrong with Ohri and if we’re right, then we need to go home. If anything happens to Ohri, then it could be the end of Artio as we know it._

Kyungsoo doesn’t say anything and instead keeps his head looking straight. By now they have entered the castle and have passed three different planet wings and are headed to the atrium.

“Kyungsoo,” Jongin whispers quietly. “Why do you think your Temple is here?”

Kyungsoo doesn’t say anything for a moment and instead, he places his hands against Jongin’s carefully intertwining their fingers. “I have a hunch, Jongin, but I hope I’m wrong.”

“Why?”

“Because it would mean I would have to go home and that’s something I don’t want to do.”

Jongin is quiet before squeezing Kyungsoo’s hand. “I won’t let them take you home without a fight. We have to figure out what’s wrong with your gem.”

“I know.”

Inseong sucks in a breath. “Woah.”

Kyungsoo blinks. They’ve made into the atrium.

Round in shape, the atrium is made from stone much like the rest of the castle. The eleven planet banners hang from the ceiling showing off their world symbol. On the ground, the floor is dirt brown and filled with tables holding various artifacts from around Ma’at. The three main stairwells intertwine with each other before ending at the same point. The wall behind the massive stairwell is a set of doors which lead to the dining room where the rest of the guardians are sitting.

“This way,” Luhan’s voice is heard. “The others are waiting.”

The rest of the walk is a quick one with no saying anything. Kyungsoo notices Inseong is too impressed to say anything else and this causes him to smile. It was like when Kyungsoo first came to the Castle of Gems. He remembers standing in the middle of the atrium and gawking at everything. How could you not?

The dining room doors are open showing the two long tables where the staff and other people live inside the castle sit. Luhan bounds in.

“Hello again!” he shouts. “We’ve brought guests and prisoners!”

The once loud dining hall turns silent at Luhan’s words but the Musensian could care less. He’s too engrossed on blabbering to Yixing about the way he could bring prisoners to the dining hall. From where Kyungsoo is standing, he could see a silver earring carrying a teal gem in the middle.

The Gem of Mind.

“Is everything super impressive?” Inseong asks causing Kyungsoo to chuckle.

The dining room is one out of many rooms of the castle to have windows but the only room to have massive ones. The two long tables stand in the middle of the room for three more tables to fit along the side. There’s one more table, however, sitting in the back of the room underneath the eleven banners of Ma’at.

And sitting at the table are the rest of the Gems, standing and staring at the procession in front of them.

“You know, Kyungsoo,” Inseong begins. “I know the Castle of Gems is supposed to be impressive and slightly intimidating but the way the other Gems are looking at us, I feel more intimidated by them instead of the building.”

Kyungsoo laughs. “And maybe you should be, Seong. You did just waltz in here,” he says looking at the nine other Gems.

At one end of the table, Baekhyun stands his pale skin shining. His arms are covered in different tattoos symbolizing the different achievements he’s made inside his clan and inside of the castle. There’s a new tattoo Kyungsoo has never seen before on his upper left arm causing Kyungsoo to smile at the sight of it. The upper left arm is left alone because it’s where the marriage tattoo goes. Kyungsoo's eyes land on the medium sized choker showing a bright yellow gem around his neck.

The Gem of Light.

He looks over to Minseok who stands next to him, his hand and fingers intertwined with Baekhyun’s. The Khionensian’s white eyes are filled with happiness but a little apprehension from the intruders. He too like Baekhyun sports a Gebine tattoo of marriage on his left upper arm. He turns his head to the side, whispering something in Baekhyun’s ear and showing off the ear cuff with a pale blue gem against his skin.

The Gem of Frost.

Next to Minseok stands Chanyeol who stands with his arms crossed, his inky eyes glaring holes into the Temple warriors. His fingernails dig into his red skin but Kyungsoo cannot tell if it hurts or not. It’s always been hard to see what hurts Chanyeol or not. He sits, crossing his right leg over his left, showing the tight thigh band against his skin. In the middle is a bright red gem.

The Gem of Fire.

Jongdae and Junmyeon lean against each other staring at the four unconscious warriors. Junmyeon’s sea green eyes shift over to Kyungsoo who smiles. He nods and lifts his hand to motion at the unconscious people, the thin bracelet with small blue gems in the middle.

The Gem of Water.

“They had it coming,” he says.

“Do you know who they are?” Kris asks from next to Junmyeon.

Kris' eyes are narrowed and passing through each of the newcomers, looking for any signs of attack. For the first time in a long time, Kris oozes the power he was known for on Aether. He’s radiating strength and authority. He crosses his arms over his chest, his right arm showing a massive arm chain with a grey gem in the middle.

The Gem of Transportation.

Liajeng huffs from above causing everyone to look up and stare at the bright carmine and mint dragon as he stares down. He bares his teeth and lets out a small flame causing Inseong to yelp and hide behind Dyo.

“It looks like he does,” Jongdae says standing straight and letting Junmyeon fall.

Jongdae brushes his long caramel hair to the side and showing those strange iridescent eyes the people of Ukko have. He smiles his Cheshire grin before sitting down and tapping his fingers against the table. He shows a wide assortment of rings, one of which holds a silver gem.

The Gem of Storm.

“So why are you here?” he asks ignoring the looking coming from both Junmyeon and Kris.

“I think you should hush, Dae,” Baekhyun says. “You’re talking too much again.”

Jongdae rolls his eyes. “And you’re not talking enough. These people come and attack one of our own despite the fact he’s not himself.”

Kyungsoo feels his face flush as the Temple warriors look to him. Dyo growls causing Jongdae to raise his hands.

“Shut up, Jongdae,” Kyungsoo hisses. “My condition is nothing to them right now.”

“Lord Kyung-“ Jimin starts.

“No Jimin.” Kyungsoo almost shouts.

The silence is thick as Jimin and Kyungsoo have a staring contest. Kyungsoo stands victorious as the lion rider looks away, mumbling under his breath. Dyo growls again.

 _That idiot,_ Dyo snarls. _I can hear him perfectly well._

_Dyo, hush._

“So why are y’all here?” Sehun asks from atop Mija. “It can’t be just to visit. I mean kidnapping a Gem? Psht, there must be somethin’ wrong with y’all.” His arms are crossed over his chest, his left bicep showing a silver band with a rose gold gem.

The Gem of Air.

Sehun’s eyes close when he leans against Mija’s shoulder causing Zitao to roll his eyes.

Zitao stands at Mija’s legs, his fingers lost in the owl’s plumage. Kyungsoo nods his way when he sees the ever-changing eyes of the man. Much like Luhan’s lines, Zitao’s eyes follow his emotions and right now, he’s not in the best mood as they are a bright violet. It’s almost as if he’s in the mood to hurt and Kyungsoo can tell by the way he’s playing with his twin rings which hold a white gem.

The Gem of Time.

“Now, let’s let them talk,” Yixing says his blue and gold eyes shining brightly. It’s almost like he knows what’s happening and who Kyungsoo has brought with him. “I’m sure they didn’t mean to barge into one of the most sacred places in Ma’at.”

Kyungsoo covers his mouth as Jongin holds in a laugh behind him. They watch as Yixing crosses his legs like Chanyeol only to move his leg up and down, the anklet holding the pink gem moving with his movements.

The Gem of Life.

“It’s the quiet ones,” Jongin says. “Yixing’s pissed.”

“I know,” Kyungsoo replies when Dyo stands next to Mija.

Kyungsoo and Jongin dismount the bear who lays down and closes his eyes. He feels nothing for leaving Inseong at the base of the table where everyone else is looking at him. Inseong gulps.

“Uh, little lord,” he says with wide eyes. “The intimidating ones are looking at me.”

Dyo snorts. _Let them,_ he says to Kyungsoo. _Maybe next time it would teach you not come into a place where you’re not needed._

“Dyo!” Kyungsoo yelps.

_What? I’m just saying._

_Then what about Ohri_? Kyungsoo asks. _They have to be here because of Ohri._

Dyo doesn’t say anything.

“Kyungsoo,” comes Minseok’s voice. “Who are these people?”

Kyungsoo takes a deep breath and keeps his eyes forward, not looking at the other gems. “These are people from Artio. They’re Warriors from the Temple of Life and they have yet to tell me why they’re here.”

There’s a murmuring coming from the side.

“Jimin, why are you here?” Kyungsoo sighs and secretly crosses his fingers.

“Ohri,” Jimin says and Kyungsoo closes his eyes.

“I knew it,” he whispers low enough for Dyo to hear. “What about Ohri?” he says louder. “The last formal check, everything was fine with Ohri and all is well for Artio.”

Jimin looks lost for words for a moment. “I know,” he says. “However, one morning, one of the Scholars woke up to find rot on Ohri’s trunk.”

Kyungsoo’s body freezes.

“They have tested the rot but they cannot find anything about the rot. Ohri was fine the day before but now it’s not. We don’t understand.”

 _Is that what we felt?_ Dyo asks.

“How long ago did you find the rot?” Junmyeon asks.

“A month ago.”

The Gems freeze before turning and looking at Kyungsoo who stands there shocked.

“We’ve told the World Council and they have instructed us to bring Kyungsoo home. He is the Gem of Earth and maybe he can find something we can’t. I fear it’s the only thing we can do at this point.”

Kyungsoo makes a noise at the back of his throat.

 _Dyo,_ he says. _It has something to do with what we felt when we went to Artio a month ago. I know it is._

_Say something._

And Kyungsoo does. He lets the Temple Warriors know about the horrible feeling he had when he was brought to Ohri. Throughout the explanation, Jimin looks mad. His pale skin begins to blot red and his eyes narrow at Kyungsoo.

“And you didn’t think to tell the Temple what you felt? Because of your selfishness, you may have just cost us our planet!”

Kyungsoo’s face flushes as his hands ball into fists. “I couldn’t,” he says. “There was no way for me to tell you what I felt when I landed in front of Ohri for a couple of seconds.”

“Yes, you could have,” Jimin hisses. “You kept this from us for a month! Sending a word isn’t hard!”

“There’s no nee-“ Zitao starts only to get cut off by Kyungsoo.

“There’s no way I could have told you because I was in a coma for a month!” he shouts. Jimin falls silent and Inseong stares. “I couldn’t have protected my planet’s Life Tree because I was in a coma for a month. I woke up three days ago. I’ve been resting for three days and I was going to send a word out today.”

“Coma?” Inseong says before rushing towards Kyungsoo and patting the Gem all around. “Where are you hurt? Is everything okay now, Kyungsoo? Do you need to see a doctor on Artio? How did this happen, Soo? I thought you were well protected here on Hestia.” He sends a glare to the other gems. “Do you not watch out for your own?”

“Inseong!” Kyungsoo shouts. “Enough!”

Inseong opens his mouth to say something but shuts it. He looks to Kyungsoo before bowing and shifting into his falcon. Flying and landing on Kyungsoo’s shoulder, Inseong stays there for the remainder of the meeting.

“Lord Kyungsoo,” Jimin starts but Kyungsoo raises his hand to silence him.

“It was a something from the last system we visited. That’s all. It took a month for the virus to leave my body and I was well taken care of here.”

“Why weren’t we informed of this?” Jimin asks. “You’re the- “

“I’m the Gem of Earth,” Kyungsoo says. “And nothing else. However, as an Artioian I will travel my homeworld and look at Ohri. It’s the only thing I can do.”

“Will you be staying?”

“For a period, yes but the Castle of Gems is my home and I will return to it.”

Jimin doesn't like what Kyungsoo says but Kyungsoo honestly doesn't care. He has a duty he needs to complete and if he must fight for it, then so be it. He'll fight for the Gems as much as he would fight for his home. But the question remains, in dire need, who would Kyungsoo pick over the other?

The quick meeting with the newcomers is done not a couple of seconds later when Junmyeon asks one of the castle workers to escort them out. Now everything was told about who they are, the prisoners are released and placed under the care of Yixing for their injuries. He dismisses the uninjured ones and has the remaining four placed on top of the staff’s tables where he can look at them while their meeting continues.

Once the door is closed, the real talk begins.

Kyungsoo’s hands are still balled in fists, Jimin’s and Inseong’s words still echoing throughout his brain.

“They keep calling you lord,” Chanyeol points out. “Why?”

Jongin stands in front of Kyungsoo and unclenches his fists. He does it with such determination that the room falls silent and watches the two of them.

“You shouldn't be angry,” Jongin says. “You're their hope in trying to figure out what's wrong with Ohri.”

“And you forget who I am, Jongin. I'm not like most of you. I have a very important job in Artio as well as for the Gems and I can't do both.”

“Kyungsoo, who are you?” Minseok asks rephrasing Chanyeol’s question. “Why would your Temple of Life come and find you?”

Kyungsoo sighs and Dyo stands up from his spot to push Kyungsoo in a chair before putting his head on his lap. “In Artio,” he begins. “There are many World Council seats for the different races. But there are four seats who hold the utmost power. While three of the seats are almost like dukes and duchesses, the fourth seat is like a king. They are the ones who make sure the rules are enforced and followed. They are the ones the public loves the most. And for generations, it's been a bear riding family.”

Dyo keens before adding more pressure into Kyungsoo's legs. He winces but says nothing as the information syncs in with the other members. But knowing them, they'll need it to be spelled out.

“I don't understand,” Chanyeol and Baekhyun say at the same time. Jongin sighs loudly from next to him.

“It’s Kyungsoo’s family,” he says. “Kyungsoo’s family holds the most important seat in the council. They are like the kings and queens of Artio. Kyungsoo is basically a prince who has to pick between the Gem and ruling his homeworld.”

Silence echoes across the room. Only Jongin, Junmyeon, and Kris knew his true bloodline.

“Kyungsoo’s a prince!?” Baekhyun shouts. “There's no way, a person who drools in his sleep and can't realize when a person has a crush on him can be a Prince.”

“Baekhyun!” Minseok slaps the Gebine’s arm. “Why would you say something like that?”

“Because it's true! How is Kyungsoo a prince?”

“It’s _like_ he's a prince,” Chanyeol says sitting down. “Because there's no monarchy on Artio, he's technically not a prince.”

Kyungsoo runs his fingers through Dyo’s fur. He listens to the others talk about his status and how unbelievable the man with a bear can rule an entire world.

But how can Kyungsoo try to rule an entire world when he has the rest of Ma’at to think about. His role is much larger than people realize and he understands this. He knows what it means to be a Gem and one of the rulers of Artio. He knows how difficult it will be because he can only do one.

“So where does that leave you, Soo?” Sehun asks as he jumps off Mija’s back. He lands perfectly before taking the seat next to him followed by Zitao. “You're goin’ back to Artio for a bit, aren't you?”

“I have to,” Kyungsoo says. “Ohri is my Life Tree. If something is wrong with it…” he trails off before standing up, looking to the side, and staring at Baekhyun.

Artio isn't the only one with a Life Tree.

“Baekhyun,” he says. “What about Eurielle?”

The room shifts to Baekhyun who stares at Kyungsoo with wide eyes.

For thousands of years, both Geb and Artio have had their Life Trees and since the beginning, Eurielle and Ohri have been connected.

“I need to go to Geb,” Baekhyun says before running out of the room with Minseok following him.

“If something is happening to Ohri, I have no doubt something might be happening to Eurielle,” Kyungsoo says. “This is bad. Really bad.”

Liajeng comes down from his perch above everyone and circles around the room. He lands in one of the large empty spaces as Mija begins her flight to where Liajeng lays.

Kyungsoo looks straight, his mind reeling a mile a minute. It’s scary to think about something happening to the planet which housed him for twenty years.

“I need to leave,” he says.

Junmyeon nods before leaning his head against Kris’s shoulder. Kyungsoo knows the look. He knows how worried Junmyeon really is despite not looking like it. His eyes are filled with sorrow and pain for Kyungsoo and Baekhyun.

“Go,” he says. “Your planet needs you.”

Kyungsoo nods and pushes Dyo’s head off his lap. Standing up, he hurries out of the dining room, his riding bear hot on his heels.

 _Do you want to ride?_ Dyo asks. _We can go faster._

“I feel like I've been riding for too long,” Kyungsoo mumbles.

_Just get on._

Kyungsoo sighs as Dyo walks next to him. With a side glance, Kyungsoo jumps into his riding animal. Dyo begins to run.

The castle walls become nothing more than a blur to Kyungsoo the faster Dyo runs. He closes his eyes for a moment, remembering how much he likes riding when his animal runs. To feel the air hitting his skin makes him feel more awake than normal and Kyungsoo lives for it.

Talk to Jimin’s lion. Ask him when they're leaving and we'll be going with them.”

Dyo doesn't say anything but he knows his request is being done.

They pass through the Museusian wing within two minutes before crossing into the Ukkoite wing and finally the Piito wing.

The moment Kyungsoo smells Artioian trees, he leaps off Dyo’s back.

“Get ready,” Kyungsoo says before taking off and not waiting for a reply.

He doesn't know why he's rushing. Maybe the faster he can get to Artio, the faster he can come home. It’s the only thing he can think of.

Throwing open his bedroom door, Kyungsoo reaches for his pack that's always filled with emergency situations. He doesn't need much since he going to his home planet and can really Get everything he needs but he would much rather have his own things.

His eyes pass over his dresser where there are two boxes on top of them. He stares at them before he walks over and places his hands on both boxes. He opens the one in his left hand showing his gold armband and black gem. The sight of the gem pains him the more he like at it. His could he lose something so important?

The other box he hesitates before opening it. He always had in fear of doing what everyone wants him to do.

Kyungsoo opens the box.

Sitting on a purple pillow sits a rose gold signet ring, a symbol of power but most importantly a symbol to show who Kyungsoo really is. He stares at it before closing the box and putting in his bag.

There’s a soft sound coming from the opening outside causing Kyungsoo to look up. He sees Dyo looking disgruntled with a falcon on top of his head. Kyungsoo chuckles at the sight of Inseong.

“What did you do to him, Inseong?” Kyungsoo wonders.

Inseong lets out a long screech.

Before Kyungsoo can say something, there’s a knock. He throws the two animals a look before shouting for the person to enter. He half expected it to be only Jongin but he’s surprised to see Yixing enter as well. Jongin sees the falcon and makes a noise at the back of his throat. Inseong screeches again.

“Kyungsoo,” Yixing says not paying attention to Jongin. “I found something out.”

Kyungsoo’s smile wipes off his face.

_Dyo take Inseong away from here. He doesn't need to hear this._

“What did you find?” he asks out loud, listening to the squawk of Inseong when Dyo begins to run away.

Yixing moves to sit on the bed, placing his hand on Kyungsoo’s bag. “Something that doesn’t make sense,” he says. “But I thought I should tell you anyways.”

Jongin walks further into the room, leaning on one of the walls, his gaze out into the outside.

“Your Gem is connected to Ohri,” Yixing says. “Whatever happens to Ohri happens to your Gem.

Yixing’s statement causes Kyungsoo to freeze and stare dumbly at the Piiot.

“In fact,” Yixing continues like Kyungsoo isn’t gawking at him. “All of the Gems are connected to Life Trees.”

“Wait. Hold up. I’m confused,” Kyungsoo says, running his fingers through his hair. “What do you mean the Gems are connected to Life Trees? How is my gem connected to Ohri? This doesn’t make sense.”

Yixing nods. “You’re right. It doesn’t because the Gems came from the Life Tree known as Mama. However, there’s no story on Mama or the Gems. Just the one line in Hestia's sacred text talking about the birth of them.”

Kyungsoo sits beside Yixing. “I don’t understand.”

“And neither do I. However, if the current condition of Ohri is bad and your Gem is black, then maybe they are connected and maybe if you find a cure for Ohri, the Gem will go back to normal.”

Kyungsoo thinks about for a moment but it didn’t seem right. Nothing seems right about this but he didn’t say anything and instead he nods his head.

“I’m going to talk to Zitao,” Yixing says after a couple of minutes of silence. “Maybe he can shed more light on the birth of the Gems. He is from Hestia. There has to be something else.”

Kyungsoo’s gaze travels to the box where his armband and black gem sits. He stares at it until Yixing leaves, Jongin not moving from his spot.

“I want to go with you,” he says quietly after a few minutes. “You don’t know what’s out there in Artio aside from your family. There can be something else and if Yixing is right, then maybe you’ll need all the help you can get.”

Kyungsoo doesn’t argue when he looks at Jongin. “And you’re ready to go?”

The smile on Jongin’s face is a mixture of disbelief and blinding.

“I am.”

_Dyo, Jongin is coming with us. Are the others ready?_

There is a high-pitched whine. _About time!_ Dyo shouts. _Inseong kept pecking at my head telling me to go back to you and it was frustrating. I figured he would just fly away and go back but no. He has to be the laziest shifter I’ve ever seen._ Kyungsoo laughs _. How is he your childhood friend? Seriously?_

_Dyo._

The bear huffs. _Fine. Yes, they’re ready and Jongin’s coming with us. Anything else?_

Kyungsoo raises a brow. _Are you being sassy with me?_

_When you have a lazy falcon shifter pecking at your head, yes._

Kyungsoo motions for Jongin to leave the room while he grabs his bag. It takes all of five seconds before like the signet ring, his armband is placed into his bag as well.

 _We’re going to the portals._ Kyungsoo tells Dyo as he closes his bedroom door.

“Worried?” Jongin asks after they make their way to the atrium and heading towards the massive set of stairs and going up the middle ones.

Kyungsoo thinks about lying but this is Jongin. The one person who Kyungsoo trusts just as much as Dyo. He doesn't know when happened or why it happened, it just did. Maybe it’s because Jongin was the always the one person who was cheering on for Kyungsoo when his Gem first chose him. Maybe it was because even though they are from two different planets and divisions, he was calm in explaining everything about the Gems and about Mama.

“Yes,” he says. “Yes, I’m worried.”

Jongin nods. “Remember Kyungsoo, you’re not alone in this. You have friends helping you with this.”

Kyungsoo knows Jongin is right and he’s grateful for his friends. If it was the Kyungsoo from five years ago, learning about the gems and trying to believe in them for the first time, then he would have never trusted anything Jongin is saying. But that was then and this is now.

Kyungsoo smiles. “I know,” he says. “Thank you.”

Jongin looks at Kyungsoo and shares his own smile. It’s a beautiful smile.

The door to the left of the stairs is open showing the different portals. They sit in a U shape, each portal showing a beautiful landscape of the world they travel to. There’s the grey skies of Ukko, the shining seas of Sinann, and the mountains of Mielikki. But Kyungsoo’s eyes are trained on a portal showing a bright green forest. From where he’s standing, he can smell the warm air, and feel the grass in his toes. A small smile lifts his lips as he walks towards the portal of Artio.

Dyo sits in the middle of the room with a humanoid Inseong standing next to him. There’s a shit eating grin on Inseong’s face and Dyo looks all but disgusted with the falcon shifter. He’s a couple of inches away from him but when Inseong notices he moves, he tries to get close to the bear. Kyungsoo can’t help but the roll his eyes.

“What did you do now?” Kyungsoo asks as Jongin makes his way towards Dyo and shooting Inseong distasteful glances.

“I did nothing,” Inseong says brightly.

“Are you ready, Lord Kyungsoo?” Jimin’s voice says. “The people of Artio will be very happy to see you again. It’s been far too long.”

Kyungsoo only nods his head. “Let’s get going,” he says standing in front of the portal to Artio. He looks at the forest on the other side before taking a step through.

 

 

The portal takes them to a meadow with grass reaching the middle of their calves. All around are several types of trees ranging from the normal green to leaves of a rainbow. There’s a couple of massive birds flying above mixed in with smaller, normal sized ones. Grunts, hisses, and howls can be heard echoing throughout the various parts of the forest.

Everything causes Kyungsoo to smile.

There’s nothing like coming back to his planet where everything is just the same.

“Welcome home, Lord Kyungsoo,” Jimin says.

There’s a snout to his palm making his smile a little wider.

 _It’s pretty,_ Dyo says. _But the meadows leading up to the mountain ranges are prettier. Plus, there are a lot more female bears I can mate with!_

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, listening to Dyo coo about the mountain ranges with female bears. As much as he loves Dyo, he would much rather listen to Baekhyun while he complains about Minseok and the things he didn’t do instead of listening to how much his bear would love to mate with a female and make lots of cubs. Like ew.

He turns to Jongin who looks amazed at everything surrounding him. His eyes fill themselves with wonder as he takes in the different sights and sounds. Kyungsoo can’t help the small awing noise coming out of his mouth.

“Welcome to Artio,” Kyungsoo says. “It’s a wonderful little planet.”

The blush on Jongin’s face is bright against tanned skin but his eyes show the bright mischief only Jongin can have.

“It’s beautiful,” Jongin says.

“It is. However, in my opinion, I think the landscape near the lakes and seas are prettier. If you sit at a certain point, you can see the aquatic shifters and the aquatic riders interact with each other. It’s amazing.”

Jongin smiles more. “You like watching them?”

Before Kyungsoo can answer, the warm air turns sour and dark. The feeling coming with it has Kyungsoo’s face flushing as if he’s sick and his stomach wanting to empty its contents. He grabs his stomach as his knees feel like they’re about to buckle. There’s one thing Kyungsoo notices, though. It’s the same feeling he felt when he passed through Artio.

Something is very wrong.

“What the hell?” Jongin asks through pained gasps.

Kyungsoo turns his head a little to see Jongin in the same state. And just as fast as it comes, it leaves as if his body is used to the feeling of whatever is in the air.

There’s a faint shout coming from Inseong and the others but Kyungsoo isn’t paying any mind to them. He’s too busy fretting over Jongin seeing as the man collapsed a few seconds ago.

 _Dyo!_ Kyungsoo shouts both mentally and out loud. _I don’t know what happened!_

Kyungsoo picks up Jongin’s body and looks around trying to find out where’s he’s at. He notices the little path towards the middle of the forest and before he can ask where they’re at Jimin answers.

“We’re near the Temple,” he says. “We better go to see what’s wrong with the other Gem.”

Kyungsoo looks to the others who he remembers being with him. Rowoon and the others had woken up in Hestia and were chatting nervously as they kept looking at Jongin and Kyungsoo. Rowoon notices Kyungsoo looking at him and he sends out a small smile.

“My lord,” he says.

Kyungsoo nods in acknowledgment, but his mind is elsewhere. He clutches Jongin’s unconscious body tighter.

“The Temple doctors should be able to help,” Jimin continues. “We best get a move on.”

Kyungsoo’s eyes narrow just a little bit. As much as he trusts the Temple doctors, something tells him they weren’t going to find anything and the real solution is to get Jongin off the planet. It doesn’t take a Kyungsoo very long to realize Yixing’s right. The Gems and the Life Trees should be connected but the question is how.

Dyo is next to Kyungsoo the next time he blinks. He places Jongin against Dyo’s neck before staring at him. He’s confused. Jongin isn’t from Artio but he’s still affected by whatever is going on. Maybe it’s something only the Gems can feel? But why?

 _Ride,_ Dyo says as Jimin mounts his lion.

“I’ll be going ahead,” Jimin says nodding to two others. “We’ll be letting the Temple doctors know someone needs medical care.”

Out of the two Jimin nods at, one shifts into a massive bear before the person Kyungsoo recognizes as Yoongi swings his legs over. Yoongi looks at Kyungsoo and nods towards him before the bear and Jimin sprint off into the forest.

Inseong stares at Kyungsoo for a couple of second before shifting into his falcon and flying overhead.

Moments after, one of the men whistles low in his throat calling for something. He waits, tapping his foot against the ground impatiently.

What comes has Kyungsoo looking to the other man in awe. There are over a hundred types of animals with almost all the riders riding animals not insects. Insect riders are the rarest of the rare and when a giant spider comes out of the forest a couple of minutes later, Kyungsoo’s jaw is almost to floor.

He watches as the man’s face lights up as he runs towards the spider, giving it a hug and a kiss, cooing on how much he missed his little V monster. A part of Kyungsoo wants to shudder and run but the sight is a little endearing when he sees the spider showing the same kind of affection. Or what seems to be the same affection.

Namjoon walks over ignoring the spider rider. “My lord,” he says with a bow. “I apologize for not speaking to you earlier. Everything was happening so fast.”

Kyungsoo shakes his head. “It’s not a problem. I know you were watching everything from your standing point.”

Namjoon inclines his head. “Yes, sir. It’s wonderful to see you home.”

Kyungsoo stares at Namjoon until the wolf shifter is shifting on his feet and looking uncomfortable.

“I mean, Kyungsoo,” he adds quickly once he realizes what Kyungsoo wants.

The bear rider shows a little smile. “Thank you,” he says as he straps his bag to Dyo's back. “I’ve known you since you were a pup. Do you really think I like you calling me sir? I always feel old when people call me it. I’m not old.”

Namjoon smiles. Kyungsoo checks on Jongin to see the Mielikkian has no fever and only looks like he’s sleeping but it worries him.

“Let’s run,” Kyungsoo says climbing onto Dyo and holding Jongin by his waist. Jongin’s body slumps against Kyungsoo and he can feel the soft puffs of air as Jongin breathes. “We need to get to the Temple doctors.”

As much as Kyungsoo wants to send Jongin home to Yixing, he knows he can’t and for two reasons. The first reason being, the portal. It would take a little over a day for the portal to recharge and get back to normal. The second, he knows Jongin and the younger wouldn’t want to go home because of this. He knows he wouldn’t hear the end of it.

Dyo begins to run with a shifted Namjoon, the spider, and his two riders. As they run, Kyungsoo learns the names of the spider rider, Taehyung, seeing how the other rider is Rowoon who’s a mage under Yoongi’s care. Both felt bad for attacking Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo doesn’t have time to look at the scenery change around him as he holds Jongin against his body. However, he sees through the corner of his eyes, how assorted colors seem to pass by.

In no time, they reach the Temple with a couple of Temple guards waiting outside the doors for them. Jimin isn’t with them but the people standing in front gives Kyungsoo the chills. He tries not to roll his eyes when Dyo passes by but sometimes, Kyungsoo’s eyes move on their own. His father’s personal assistant stands there with a grim-looking smile on his face. He sees Kyungsoo and opens his mouth. Kyungsoo rides pass him.

 _You know,_ Dyo starts. _He hates it when you do that._

_I know but I have bigger things to worry about and pleasing my father’s bitch isn’t one of them._

Kyungsoo feels Dyo rolling his eyes.

_What made you bring him?_

Dyo stops in front of three Temple doctors as Kyungsoo dismounts his animal and gently takes Jongin off. He carries him the doctors with a small bow and a word of thanks.

 _I don’t know_ , he says watching the small group walk away.

As much as he wants to follow them, he can’t. It’s the rule of Temple. No visitors until the doctor says. If they’re unconscious like Jongin is, well tough luck.

_Did he ask to come?_

_He did after Yixing left with his information._

Kyungsoo doesn’t mount Dyo as they begin walking towards one of the courtyards in the Temple.

The sight of the Temple grounds makes Kyungsoo smile. Most of the buildings are all made with a mixture of stone and wood. Mosaics of the three species of Artio are scattered throughout the buildings. Leading up the main temple are stone stairs with different animals bowing in the direction of Ohri. Trees of all colors are planted along the steps, protecting the paint from the harsh weather conditions.

 _What did Yixing find?_ Dyo asks.

As Kyungsoo walks through the courtyard, people and animals linger about. There’s a game of hacky sack going on with the victors cheering and the losers groaning. Land animals both rider and shifter lounge in the sun while others run in and out of the Temple grounds as if going on different missions. There’s a loud squawk coming from above. Kyungsoo doesn’t look up but he knows he would see the different airborne animals flying into or leaving the aviaries.

_A lot of things that don’t make sense because if they did, then the rest of the planet aside from here, Geb, and Hestia would have Life Trees and there’s nothing anywhere else._

Out of the corner of his eyes, Kyungsoo can see his father’s assistant looking rather hurried with an expression Kyungsoo wishes he could forget. He stops walking and waits for the other man to catch up. He reaches for the bag he strapped to Dyo earlier and pulls it off, swinging against his back. It’s a little heavy but it’s nothing Kyungsoo can’t handle.

_What do you mean?_

_Exactly that,_ Kyungsoo says wiggling around to make the bag more comfortable against his back. _Ohri might be connected to my gem and if it’s true then we have something a lot bigger than we might think._

_The other planets have trees?_

_According to Yixing. If they do, then they have been lost just like Mama._

“Lord Kyungsoo,” his father’s assistant says with a slight bow. “We have been waiting.”

Kyungsoo pastes a smile on his face, looking the other man up and down. Kyuhyun hadn’t seemed to age a day in the past three years of not seeing him. Kyuhyun’s body is of a normal tiger shifter, lean, tall, and those strange yellow eyes. The man still had a wonderful head of hair making Kyungsoo wonder if the man using his father’s hair growth solution.

“Kyuhyun,” Kyungsoo says. “I can see you have.”

 _Play nice,_ Dyo says sitting on the ground and placing a big hairy paw on Kyungsoo’s back.

Kyungsoo throws a look of distaste to his animal before turning back to Kyuhyun. “I will be returning home in a little bit. I have business to attend here.”

Kyuhyun inclines his head with a sour look. “I know. However, because of your past actions, we are to wait for you until you’re done. I will be following you until we make our way back to the manor.”

 _Can I hit him now?_ Kyungsoo asks, shoving away Dyo’s paw. _I don’t think he can hear what we’re talking about, anyway. Who knows what could happen if he found out._

Dyo snorts before placing the same paw on Kyungsoo’s back. _I’m sure Kyuhyun would like that._

Kyungsoo thinks of something. A smile reaches across his features. _Who do you think would win in a race? A bear or a tiger?_

Dyo shoves Kyungsoo. _Me._

“I’m assuming I don’t have a choice,” Kyungsoo says to Kyuhyun.

Kyuhyun’s smile is blinding. “No sir.”

“Fine,” Kyungsoo says turning to the stairs and heading towards the temple. “You best keep up, then.”

_Gods, you’re mean to him._

_I don’t like him._

_You don’t like a lot of people._

Kyungsoo smiles. _I know._

_But you like Jongin._

Kyungsoo feels his face heating up. _And how long are you going to bring it up?_

_Until you admit you like the Mielikkian._

_And then will you stop?_

_No_ , Dyo says honestly, pushing Kyungsoo a bit with his snout. Kyungsoo stumbles before shooting a glare. It’s fun teasing you.

 _Gods, your annoying,_ Kyungsoo whines. _Why do I put up with you?_

_Cause you love me._

_I suppose so._

Dyo is silent for a couple moments before he starts talking again. _Soo, what does finding the new Life Trees mean for Ma’at?_

They reach the top of the stairs and Kyungsoo looks back to see Kyuhyun almost to the top.

If the courtyard below is loud with people milling around, the entrance to the Temple is quiet. The same cobbled floor lines the path towards the temple building. Along the path are small shrubs of various species. Some of which are budding and others showing beautiful flowers.

Kyungsoo looks to the door. It’s round and large with a single picture of tree burned onto the used wood.

Above the tree is a griffin, the symbol of the Temple of Life.

I don’t know, he says glancing back to see Kyuhyun at the top of stairs and making his way toward Kyungsoo. _I really don’t know._

Dyo is silent when Kyungsoo spots Jimin to the side. The lion rider has his eyes closed as he leans against his massive animal. The lion watches Kyungsoo as he takes another step forward. Half of Kyungsoo’s mind wonders if the lion would bare its teeth to protect the sleeping rider but it doesn’t. Instead, Jimin’s eyes pop open.

“You’re here,” he says. “I’ve been waiting. “Chim keeps says you take a long time.” He motions to the lion.

Kyungsoo crosses his arms over his chest giving Chim an unimpressed look. “Well sorry,” he says. “I had a friend to take to the doctors and pick this up on the way.” He points to Kyuhyun who looks mildly offended at being called a ‘this’.

“The Head is waiting by Ohri,” Jimin says paying no attention to Kyungsoo’s words. “It’s best not to keep her waiting. Lords knows how she acts when things don’t go her way.”

 _Her?_ Dyo asks. _I thought the head of the Temple was old Jinyong, the creepy looking man._

Jimin turns on his heel, his pink hair flopping with his turn and Chim follows his movement. With a small roll of his eyes, Kyungsoo and Kyungsoo’s shadow follow the Temple Warrior inside.

He must have retired. If he passed, we would have known about it.

Inside of the Temple always put a smile on Kyungsoo’s face. With its soaring ceilings and a beautiful mural of Ohri and Mama, the main room is massive. Pillars of stone stand in a circle in the middle of the room as if protecting the floor mural of Ohri on the ground. Pictures of griffins are scattered across the Temple’s main room but Kyungsoo listens. It’s faint but he can hear a griffin screech in the background.

Kyungsoo would normally love to spend all day listening to the screech of the griffins and feel Ohri’s soft aura around him but it wasn’t today.

Instead of feeling the clean air and like he could spend days, the Temple felt evil and almost like something dying. The griffin’s cries aren’t calming like usual but pained. Kyungsoo feels tired and lethargic but he tries not to show it.

 _Kyungsoo,_ Dyo says in almost a panic. _Kyungsoo. Something’s not right._

The Artioian doesn’t say anything and instead walks further inside without Jimin. Dyo is hot on his heels the faster he walks. It doesn’t take long for them to reach a simple door in the back of the temple. Kyungsoo stops and stares at the door for a moment before pushing it open and stepping outside.

The back of the temple is a massive meadow, hidden in mage’s magic and the only accessible point is the door which Kyungsoo and the others came out of. Much like the rest of the Temple grounds, different flowers and trees surround the area. However, in the middle of the meadow stands a giant tree with glimmering white leaves. It would normally look beautiful but the black rot claiming bark and leaves has Kyungsoo frowning.

There’s a small amount of pain bubbling in his chest but it’s not as much as when he first came home.

Standing in front of the tree is tall woman wearing muted green and brown robes. Her hair is a soft brown and long, reaching the middle of her back.

_Is that-?_

Kyungsoo takes a set forward but stops once he hears a warning growl from his left. Dyo growls back.

“Enough Amy,” the Head of the Temple says, turning around and smiling brightly at Kyungsoo. “You’ll scare them away. Although for Lord Kyungsoo, I don’t think you can.”

 _It is!_ Dyo yelps. _Can I go, please?_

White leaves rustle and out jumps a massive white animal. Kyungsoo takes a step back, fully looking at the rarer than rare animal in front of him. He clears his throat.

“You ride a liger,” he says in awe. Dyo growls.

“Actually, she’s a tigon. Beautiful, isn’t she?” Amy bares her teeth. “Amy! Enough!”

Dyo bares his. “Dyo enough.”

 _She started it!_ Dyo whines. _And I was trying to end it. Why is this thing with her!?_

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, mentally. And I’m ending it completely.

Dyo lets out a long sigh.

“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Lord Kyungsoo. Three years is a rather long time, isn’t?” The Head says with a smile. “I hope you’ve been well.”

Kyungsoo lets out his own smile. “I’ve been well, Yejin. I see you have finally caught your animal.”

 _Kyungsoo can I go!?_ Dyo asks. _Please! I want to say hello!_

Yejin’s brown eyes shine proudly at the mention of her tigon. “I’m excited,” she says, with Kyungsoo knowing she’s breaking her ‘I must stay professional in front of the tree and people who work under me’ rule. “I found her just before I became the Head of the Temple and she’s been nothing but a blessing for me.”

_I’m going!_

Kyungsoo opens his mouth to say something but he’s not fast enough to stop Dyo from taking off. He sighs when hears a loud growl coming from Amy and the sound of weapons coming from behind him.


	3. 1.3

Dyo tackles Yejin to the ground, a deep purring noise coming from his throat.

“Dyo,” Kyungsoo’s sighs when Yejin starts laughing.

“The hell?” Jimin asks from behind. “I thought he was going to kill her.”

This causes Kyungsoo to snort. “Dyo would rather me shoot him than kill Yejin. She was the one who took care of him before he chose me as his rider. We were all surprised when he marked me instead of her.”

Jimin looks at him funny. “You know her?”

“I grew up with her,” Kyungsoo says. “There was four of us, Yejin, Inseong, Mingyu, and I. Yejin was the only girl in group because she didn’t care for wearing those girly robes or dresses. She used to tell us we made her feel normal.” Kyungsoo looks at Jimin with a small smile before looking towards the front and watching as Yejin peppers kisses around Dyo’s snout. “Look at us now. Yejin, the Head of the Temple of Life, Inseong a warrior for the Temple of Life, and I a Gem. I guess I can understand your confusion.”

“And the fourth?”

Kyungsoo looks to the ground. “He’s dead.”

Silence takes over causing Jimin to look away from Kyungsoo. He clears his throat and calls Yejin’s name. “You wanted to see Lord Kyungsoo,” he says.

“When did you become the Head?” Kyungsoo blurts out as his riding animal lets his tongue out in a silly happiness.

The blush on Yejin’s face is bright as she stands up. There’s a dumb looking expression on Dyo’s face as he pushes his snout into Yejin’s hand. “Yes,” she says, answering Jimin’s call. She clears her throat and looks at Kyungsoo, her smile instantly wiping off her face. “I’m afraid, Lord Kyungsoo, that is a conversation for another time.” She walks towards Kyungsoo.

“There’s something wrong with you too, isn’t there?” She asks, throwing her arms around his shoulders in a brief hug before pulling away instantly. “You want to know if what’s affecting Ohri is affecting you too.”

Kyungsoo nods his head, surprised at the fact Yejin knew what was going on. His expression must have been surprised because Yejin chuckles.

“I still can’t read your mind,” she says. “But you are the Gem of Earth and you are from Artio. Ohri and your gem react to each other.”

 _Yixing was right then._ Dyo says huffing to the ground while Amy circles around him. Chim decides he too wants to be in the fun of bothering Dyo while he butters up to Yejin. _The Gems are connected to Life Trees._

 _Then, where are the other eight?_ Kyungsoo asks.

“No one knows,” Yejin continues, “how or why the Gems are connected to Ohri and Eurielle but there are people who believe the real story lies within the past with the first Tree of Life.”

“Mama,” Kyungsoo says and Yejin nods.

“I figured you would come because of both the tree and the gem. You want answers and I don’t know how to give them. It’s the only thing I could find. I’m still looking but I fear the answers we’re looking for are in our Lost History.”

Dyo growls low in his throat at Amy and Chim. _Lost History? As in the stories which date back to the supposed era of Mama?_

_Yes._

“Something we cannot find,” Jimin says.

Yejin nods while Kyungsoo looks over to Ohri. It saddens him to see the once majestic tree looking rotten and dead. He takes a step towards the tree.

“I still want to look at it,” he says not taking his eyes off Ohri. “Maybe there’s something I can do to help.”

Yejin can only nod when Kyungsoo walks over to the tree. From where he was standing, he really didn’t see the damage to Ohri but up close, he could tell the tree is in the beginning stages of death. The closer he gets to the tree, the more he starts to feel pain.

The bag on his back begins to warm. He takes it off, kneels, and opens it, his eyes passing on several strips of jerky and dried fruit, a flask of water, a smaller version of his war hammer, some clothes, and the two boxes he placed inside before he left Hestia. His eye train themselves on the box holding his gem to see the crack glowing in green light.

He reaches into the box as breeze passes through, ruffling Kyungsoo’s hair and goes through Ohri’s leaves.

_Kyu-_

A voice says out loud causing Kyungsoo to jump and a yelp coming from behind him.

_-ung-, -yun_

The breeze is gone. Kyungsoo looks to his bag to see the green light gone from his gem. He blinks and takes out the band by removing the latch. The gem is still black and Kyungsoo’s disappointed but he’s more curious. What just happened?

Kyungsoo turns around to see Yejin’s pale face.

“Ohri,” she says. “Ohri is calling for help.”

Kyungsoo places his armband back in the box, placing the latch back on, and closing his bag once more. He stares at the bag for a moment, his thoughts contemplating what he just heard. He stands unsure of everything.

The door from the temple opens but no one turns around to see who it is. There’s huffing like the person was running to catch up.

“I hate riders,” Kyuhyun’s voice booms. “You always think you can run and everything be fine. This temple isn’t small and it didn’t help you didn’t tell me where you’re going.”

Kyuhyun’s banter is met with silence as the three riders look at him. Kyuhyun’s hands are on his knees as he wheezes and stands up. He smiles at the sight of Yejin who looks startled.

“Lady Yejin!” Kyuhyun says. “Have you told him yet?”

Just then, the door opens again and a pale Jongin walks through the door. He looks around, his long hair moving along with his head movements. He spots Kyungsoo and a smile stretches on Jongin’s face has Kyungsoo’s stomach doing flips as Ohri’s voice leaves Kyungsoo’s mind.

“Soo,” he wheezes. “They said you might be up here.”

Kyungsoo makes his way towards Jongin just as Dyo leaves the other two animals alone.

_Kyungsoo, I worry whatever is affecting your gem and you might be affecting Jongin as well._

Kyungsoo only nods his head as he stops in front of Jongin. “Are you alright?” he asks.

Jongin smiles again and Kyungsoo’s stomach does those flips he’s starting to hate. “I’m doing okay but the doctors told me they couldn’t find anything wrong with me.”

 _See?_ Dyo says. _It’s Ohri._

_I know, Dyo. I know._

Knowing Jongin wants to know what happened while he was away, Kyungsoo tells him what he’s missed and what just happened. Jongin listens carefully as he absently runs his fingers through Dyo’s fur. Little by little, there’s color going back into Jongin’s face to show its beautiful tan.

“What’s wrong with Ohri?” Jongin asks taking little steps towards the tree. “Did you find anything out?”

“Only that Yixing was right.”

Jongin hums just as Kyuhyun clears his throat. All eyes move to him and he smiles brightly.

“Well before I was rudely interrupted,” he says shooting a glare at Jongin. “I was asking Lady Yejin if you have told him yet. There’s much to prepare and I hope you have. What a joyous occasion!”

It’s obvious Jongin isn’t from Artio or really any of the Vanir planets making the apprehension towards the Aesir native visible in Kyuhyun’s tone. Kyungsoo narrows his eyes at both the tone of voice and the words coming out of Kyuhyun’s mouth. He turns towards Yejin.

“What are you not telling me?” he asks.

Yejin begins to look uncomfortable before looking at Jongin who is looking at Ohri. “Something I had no say on.”

“Yejin,” Kyungsoo warns. The sound of Kyungsoo’s voice causes Jongin to turn around and walk back to where the other’s stand. He looks at Kyungsoo before narrowing his eyes at the other Artioians.

“What’s going on?” he asks, stepping in front of Kyungsoo as if protecting him.

“We’re getting married,” she whispers and everything around Kyungsoo freezes. “Your father decided on it while you were away. He figured with you being the sole heir to the Main Seat of the Council and me being the Head of the Temple, it would be perfect. Our family would be powerful and my father agreed to it.”

There’s a rushing in Kyungsoo’s ears, fury taking over his body.

How dare he. How dare his father forces him to marry someone he didn’t want to. It’s not like he doesn’t like Yejin because he does. He does in a sisterly way. She’s not the person Kyungsoo likes.

Likes.

Ha.

Who does he like?

Kyungsoo’s eyes slide to Jongin who looks just about pale as Kyungsoo feels. He stares at Kyungsoo with wide eyes, confusion running through them.

Kyungsoo wants to cry out he doesn’t know what’s happening or why he’s being forced to marry but deep down, he knew this was bound to happen. He knew he was going to marry Yejin.

“Jongin,” Kyungsoo whispers.

Jongin pastes on bright smile Kyungsoo knows is fake. “I’m happy for you Soo! Finally getting married. Wait until Baekhyun hears about this! He’ll blow up about not being invited to your wedding.”

Kyungsoo’s heart breaks as he clears his throat. “I’m not getting married,” he says. “I’m not doing this.”

There’s a look of disbelief coming from Kyuhyun before a smile breaks out on his face. “You sure are. Since you’re following in your father’s footsteps, this is the only way you must go. You can’t give up the Main Seat. It’s been in your family for generations.”

Kyungsoo’s eyes narrow. “I’m not taking my father’s seat,” he says firmly. “I have a much larger job to do than to take it.”

Kyuhyun crosses his arms over his chest. “You’re not listening,” he says. “You’re taking your father’s seat and you’re going to marry Yejin. She has been yours since you were little and the seat since you were born.”

Kyungsoo feels his face turning red. It hurts for him to even think about it but there’s no way he can even think about taking his father’s place in the World Council. It can’t happen. Not with what’s happening to Ohri. There’s something larger at play here and Kyungsoo knows it. Something bad is about to happen to both Artio and Ma’at and he needs to protect both.

“I’ll tell him myself,” Kyungsoo says. “I’m not going to take his place at the World Council and I’m not going to marry Yejin. I’m not going to be staying here on Artio for very long.”

Jongin looks pained and Kyungsoo doesn’t know what to do. Words can only do so much while actions are the things which show.

“I’m going to the Temple library,” he says rubbing his temples, “to find anything about what’s going. Maybe an Artioian library will have some insight on the Gems and Ohri.”

 _Are you coming?_ He asks Dyo.

 _No_ , the animal says. _I want to stay with Yejin. It seems like there’s something else she’s not saying and I want to figure out what it is._

Kyungsoo turns on his heels, grabs Jongin’s hand, and pulls him back into the Temple building. The Mielikkian has been silent since he told Kyungsoo to marry Yejin.

“I don’t want to marry her,” he says.

Jongin looks at him before looking down to their locked hands. Kyungsoo’s aware of the feeling in Jongin’s hand in his and it feels right. There’s a blush creeping onto his cheeks as he continues to walk through the temple.

“You can,” Jongin says his voice small. “And take your father’s seat. It’s only right you do it.”

The Artioian shakes his head. “I’m a Gem though. I have a duty not just to Artio but Mielikki, Khione, Ravi, and the others. I can’t just abandon it because everyone wants me to.”

“But your father-.”

“There are other families who can take the seat. Personally, I think we should rotate the seats in case something happens like the heir of one of the Main Seat holders becomes a Gem, then there are others who will take care of Artio. It seems to be the only way. As for marrying Yejin, I like someone else and I’m waiting for him to realize it too and get the guts to do what he wants.”

Kyungsoo’s ears turn red as the flush on his cheeks becomes more prominent. He’s glad Jongin can’t see him.

“You like someone?” Jongin’s voice gets deeper. “Who?”

There are butterflies in the pit of Kyungsoo’s stomach as he shakes his head.

“Kyungsoo, why won’t you tell me?”

“Then why don’t you tell me what’s the other reason for putting your hair up?”

Jongin stays silent and Kyungsoo can picture the other’s face a bright red.

“I thought so,” he says. “When you can tell me why you can put your hair up, I’ll tell you who I like.”

Kyungsoo thinks back to a couple days ago when Jongin was talking to Dyo thinking he was asleep. Listening to Jongin’s confession about asking Kyungsoo was the best thing he had heard in a long time. Something happy during a situation which wasn’t.

After listening, Kyungsoo always found himself looking for Jongin first in everything he did. He protected the other when he needed help and a shoulder to cry on when he misses home. Sure, they have their portals and go home whenever they want to but lately, there hasn’t been enough time for it. The twelve of them are always on the move, always on missions or helping on different missions. When is the time to go home and enjoy the simple times of family?

When they reach the outside, Kyungsoo lets go of Jongin’s hand, his own feeling empty without the warmth. Letting out a quiet sigh, he goes down the stairs, listening to Jongin’s footsteps behind him.

“Did you have a chance to look around the temple grounds?” Kyungsoo asks when he sees the game of hacky sack had gotten bigger. There are more cheers and it looks like teams have been formed with Namjoon and Inseong joining.

“I didn’t,” Jongin says stepping in line with Kyungsoo. “I started to look for you the moment I woke up.”

Kyungsoo face flushes again. What’s with this boy and the things he says?

“Oh. Well, this is the courtyard area where you will find at least half of the Temple Warriors playing games or training. The others like to go out and train with their animals if they’re riders.”

Jongin hums as Kyungsoo continues to explain the courtyard and the towers holding different aviaries on top.

“Every aviary has to have its own tower. A long time ago they were all in one and it was a mess. At least, that’s the story.”

There’s a fond smile on Jongin’s face as he watches Kyungsoo talk about the Temple. Kyungsoo is aware of Jongin watching him which is why he’s not looking at the other.“You seem to know a lot about this place,” he says.

Kyungsoo smiles. “I spent a lot of time here when I was little. It was a getaway from the things happening within the council. I have never wanted the main seat and yet I am, almost to the age where I receive it. I already have a job with the Gems and both are too much to have at once. Artio needs a leader who will be here and doesn’t have to worry about the other planets too much.”

The bear rider leads Jongin to a section of the Temple grounds where it can rival the entrance to the Life Tree. It’s quiet with different people scattered about, their faces in books reading any information they could. Unlike the Temple Warriors, the Temple Scholars wear long flowy robes in various shades of purples and blues. Barely any weapons were seen with an exception of a couple of chakrams attached to someone’s back.

“Let me guess,” Jongin says. “This is the Scholar courtyard.”

“Yep. It’s always like this, quiet and with people having their nose stuck in a book. Most of the time, they’ll rival the Warriors and have competitions.”

Kyungsoo takes Jongin to a low building in the far corner. It looks abandoned with vines and other plants covering the entrance. There’s a small smile on Kyungsoo’s face when he brushes the plants back to show the door.

“I’ve always called this the Forgotten Library. No one other than Inseong, Yejin, and I knows this place exists. This place fascinated me when I was little because there were different legends and stories about Artio. It’s like our Lost History was here.”

The door itself is beautiful in design. Different engravings covered the stone, forming pictures of various animals and a single griffin, the animal of the Temple of Life but something’s different. This griffin isn’t like the rest, Kyungsoo realizes as he stares more at the door. He looks to the other animals. They weren’t just any animals, these were the animals sacred to the other planets. Now that he’s a Gem, he hears about these animals from time to time.

“Jongin,” Kyungsoo whispers. “What’s the sacred animal of Mielikki?”

The Mielikkian looks at Kyungsoo to the door. His eyes widen when they see something he thought he would never see outside of Mielikki. “A spotted bear. It’s right there.” Jongin points to a small figure of a bear next to the Griffin. Both creatures look magnificent as they stand proudly to each other.

“When did you find this place?” Jongin asks as his finger run across the engraved stone. “This area seems to be for those who possess the Gems. There’s the Ukkoian viper. These are the animals of the planets.”

Kyungsoo stands in front of the door dumbstruck. He remembers being little and walking up to the door with Inseong and Yejin. It had never opened for the others but always to him. Little Inseong was always upset about it because he always wanted to be the one opening the door who would never open for him.

“It was well before I became the Gem of Earth. I was a child when we first opened this place.” Kyungsoo motions to the center of the door.

Jongin places his hand where Kyungsoo motioned. The door lights up a dark purple, the same purple Jongin’s eyes get when he uses the power of his gem. There’s a soft rumble and the door opens.

Before either of them can say anything, Kyungsoo’s back feels warm again. Putting two and two together, he quickly takes off his bag and reaches for the box holding his armband. He takes it out to see the gem glowing green once more before looking to Jongin.

Jongin has his hand down his shirt, pulling a chain Kyungsoo didn’t know he wore. At the end of the chain is a glowing purple gem. The light dies the same time the light on Kyungsoo’s gem turn black. Unlike Kyungsoo’s gem, however, Jongin’s stays a vibrant purple.

It takes a second for Kyungsoo to recognize the gem and he continues to stare at the Gem of Space.

“It’s a Gem Library,” Jongin says and Kyungsoo looks up. “When you were little, you were already a Gem and that’s why it reacted to you. I reason why no one knows about this place is because it’s only for those who hold the Gem’s power.”

Instead of putting the armband back into its case, Kyungsoo latches the piece of jewelry onto his arm, the weight feeling familiar against his skin. “If you’re right, then there has to be something like this on the other planets. There’s a chance we might be able to find something that can cure Ohri of the rot and bring back the power of my Gem. There has to be.”

Kyungsoo doesn’t wait for Jongin’s answer as he pushes the door open and takes a step inside. Flames flicker on the moment Kyungsoo breathes out, remembering how creepy it is. There are steps leading downwards and Kyungsoo begins to remember the times Inseong and Yejin would complain about how dark and cold the stairwell was.

They continue to step down, Jongin holding onto the back of Kyungsoo’s shirt. He smiles a little bit.

“Scared?” Kyungsoo asks.

“A little,” Jongin says, holding the end of Kyungsoo’s shirt a little tighter. “I’m not a huge fan of the dark. It brings back memories, I don’t like.”

Kyungsoo blinks at the response. He was expecting a response about how he wasn’t scared instead of the one he got. He can’t help the grin his face produces. Jongin trusts him a little more and Kyungsoo’s glad.

The stairwell ends room before Kyungsoo takes a step in. Like the stairwell, flames flicker on, showing the whole library.

The room is strangely round with pointed sides. Ten bookshelves sit in different angles, never touching the walls nor the middle. From where they’re standing, Kyungsoo can see scrolls and books lying on the shelves collecting dust from no use but it’s not what catches Kyungsoo’s attention. In the middle of the room where the bookshelves end is a picture of three trees. The tree in the middle is massive with gold and silver leaves and the others, smaller in size one with gold leaves and the other with silver.

That had never been there before. The ground was always void of anything, leaving the stone floor by itself.

“It’s Mama,” Jongin says. “The mural on the ground is Mama.”

“This is impossible,” Kyungsoo says. “I don’t remember there ever being a picture of Mama here. It was always Ohri. The leaves were always white.

“White?”

Kyungsoo nods as he walks towards another set of stairs. There are bookcases along where Kyungsoo and Jongin are and areas above them filled with more bookshelves and tables to sit.

“Maybe the space reacts to the Gems. You didn’t have the Earth Gem when you were here last so maybe, it’s why you didn’t see Mama.”

Kyungsoo shakes his head as he walks down the stairs and stands in the middle of the library. It’s a lot bigger than he remembers but it smells the same, like earth and home.

“This place is amazing,” Jongin says, walking around Kyungsoo.

He stops in between two bookshelves before walking through them and standing before the wall. Kyungsoo continues to look around, amazed at the things he missed when he was little. Disbelief rolls off him in waves, his mind boggled at all the sights within his favorite library.

As much as Kyungsoo loves the sight of the books, he can’t help to feel his stomach dropping. There are too many books in here for two people to look and he doesn’t remember how the books were lined up.

“It’s going to take some time before we can find anything in here,” Kyungsoo says walking through two shelves.

His eyes are trained on the shelves surrounding him, his fingers touching the spines of every book he passes by. He looks ahead of him to see the wall. At first, there’s nothing there but the longer Kyungsoo stares at the wall, the longer he begins to see an outline of a tree with white leaves.

Kyungsoo blinks and rubs his eyes.

The picture of the tree becomes clearer and clearer until a tree is visible along with a name scripted at the bottom. Ohri.

His gem warms against his arm.

Kyungsoo doesn’t realize he’s standing in front of the picture until he’s reaching out to touch it. The wall feels smooth under his fingertips and when he places his hand against the stone, he’s suddenly surrounded assorted colors of trees. He sees Yejin sitting in front of him, her fingers in Dyo’s fur as Amy’s head sits on her shoulder. She’s by herself, Kyungsoo assuming the others left as he did. He can smell the rot coming in waves before he drops his hand from the wall and his senses are smelling dirt and home.

The warmth of his gems leaves.

Kyungsoo looks to his left and sees nothing there but when he looks to his right, he sees Jongin a little way away from him, staring at the wall with a gaping mouth.

“We have a tree,” Jongin says turning to Kyungsoo. “We have a tree and the tree’s name is Sariel. She needs help.”

Kyungsoo freezes at the words coming from Jongin’s mouth. Something clicks in the back of his mind. Something Yixing had said about the Gems being connected to Life Trees. The warming of the gems in the appearance of their Life Tree is proof.

“Jongin, if Mielikki has a Life Tree the others have their own as well,”

Jongin blinks and Kyungsoo sees the gears turning in his mind. “And Yixing was right again. The Gems are connected to the Life Trees.”

“But the Life Trees are lost.” Kyungsoo points out.

“Then we need to find them. If the Gems and the Life Trees are connected then if what’s happening to Ohri is affecting your Gem, who knows what’s happening to our Life Trees and our Gems. We have no way of finding out.”

Kyungsoo turns around and looks at the library. “Then I suggest we start looking. We have a lot of books to cover.”

 

 

Kyungsoo realizes how late they had been looking up information when he hears Jongin’s stomach growl. For a moment, he feels bad for letting Jongin’s stomach to get the point of growling but the feeling goes away when he sees Jongin with his nose in a book.

Kyungsoo is suddenly hit with a calm feeling in watching Jongin read his book because the other wears a calm expression as he flips the pages. It doesn’t look like he thinks whiles he reads and instead, he’s immersed with the words on the pages.

He doesn’t want to say anything but the sound of his stomach is getting louder and Kyungsoo is beginning to feel bad. Besides, he still should greet his father and talk about the marriage with Yejin to him.

“Jongin,” he says quietly. “Let’s get going. We need to eat something.”

The Mielikkian looks up, the tips of his long ears turning a pretty shade of red when he hears his stomach growling.

“I hadn’t realized my stomach was growling,” he says. “Was it loud?”

Kyungsoo chuckles. “It wasn’t but it made me realized we hadn’t eaten all day.”

Jongin looks to the book in his hand and Kyungsoo can tell the other doesn’t want to leave because they need to find information about what’s happening. However, they won’t be able to find anything without having food in their stomachs. “I know you have some jerky inside of your bag. I’ll be fine once you give it to me.”

“Fine but we need proper food. Not jerky. Let’s get going,” he says.

Jongin stretches and Kyungsoo turns around when he notices the flash of skin showing from Jongin’s black attire. His face burns as he clears his throat walking to the stairwell. He waits at the bottom for Jongin and they leave together.

When they come out of the library, the Artioian sun is setting showing colors of pinks, purples, and blue. It has Kyungsoo smiling and Jongin gasping at how pretty everything is.

“You know,” Jongin says after a couple of seconds at staring at the sky. “In Mielikki, we have a term for this type of sky.”

Kyungsoo faces him, his brow cocked.

“It’s called the Lovers’ Sky. I don’t really know the story but it’s what my father always calls it when the sky paints itself with these colors.”

Kyungsoo hums, his eyes following the lines of Jongin’s face. When the other met his eyes, Kyungsoo turns around, his face flaming once again. There’s a soft chuckle coming from behind him.

“Let’s go,” Kyungsoo says. “We may need to stay with my family tonight since I need to speak to my father. I know my father is waiting for me.”

_Dyo, where are you?_

They walk away when Kyungsoo hears the door shut behind them, the color of Jongin’s purple fading away.

_With Yejin in front of the gate. It seems you’re going home today and you need to stay there for the night._

Kyungsoo sighs knowing Dyo is right. Despite on what he just told Jongin, he didn’t want to go home with Jongin by his side. There’s bound to be all the things Kyungsoo disliked about his family happening tonight and if there was going to be information about his wedding with Yejin, it’s the last thing Kyungsoo wants Jongin to hear.

When they pass the Scholar courtyard, it’s livelier than during the day. Laughter and loud chatter echoes across the stone walls. Animals and shifters roam around, bumping heads and have little fights here and there. “We will be staying with my family.”

Jongin nods, his face paling a little.

Kyungsoo feels bad as he watches Jongin fiddle with the bottom of his shirt. He doesn’t mean for Jongin to look like he does, especially when he’s still not looking too hot. Maybe it’s from the lack of food or from his collapsing earlier but Jongin’s skin is still not normal. The color had returned when they were in front of Ohri but not much. When they were inside of the Gem Library, he made sure to keep an eye on Jongin’s color.

“And maybe it’s for the best,” Kyungsoo says. “We need to get food into your system. I don’t know when the last time you had eaten was.”

“The doctors gave me something to eat before they told me where you were,” he says. “They wouldn’t let me out of their sight until I had something in my stomach. They forced it down my throat too.”

Kyungsoo laughs out loud. “They’re known for doing that. If you’re ill, they’ll make sure it’s not from starvation. There’s plenty of food to go around for everyone so there aren’t too many cases of malnutrition around here.

“Are all the clans like this?” Jongin asks when they pass through the Warrior courtyard which is a lot louder than before. More games are taking over the area with Jimin and Chim joining with the rest of Jimin’s team. Kyungsoo spots Inseong who is in the middle of a very serious looking arm wrestling match with a deer rider. The deer has her head against her rider’s shoulders watching the match going on in front of her.

“They are. Everyone watches out for everyone. It’s the way of the animals and nature. We kill when it’s needed and protect our families. Most Artioians are animals and therefore, most of them think like animals.”

Jongin hums at the thought. It’s an interesting one to be called an animal but it makes sense. With a little more than half of Artio’s population being Shifters, Jongin gets the ‘let’s think like animals’ point of view.

By the time they reach the front gates, the Lovers’ Sky is gone putting the Temple of Life in darkness. There are more hoots and squawks coming from the night animals with feet pounding the ground. Kyungsoo smiles.

“The night animals are coming,” he says when he spots an anxious Dyo. “This is should be fun.”

When Dyo sees Kyungsoo, he bolts to his rider, ignoring the laughter coming from Yejin. Without saying anything, the bear tackles Kyungsoo down and begins licking his face. Peals of laughter are heard from both Jongin and Yejin the more Dyo licks his face.

“What the hell Dyo!?” Kyungsoo shouts. “Get off. You’re heavy.”

 _I have information for you but it needs to wait,_ Dyo says giving Kyungsoo a massive lick across his face. _For now, we need to get going. I know your father isn’t going to be waiting patiently for you._

Kyungsoo closes his eyes when Dyo begins to purr before he gets off Kyungsoo body and sits next to his rider. There’s a silly look in Dyo’s eyes as he stares at Kyungsoo before looking at Jongin.

Jongin’s stomach rumbles causing Dyo to look at Kyungsoo before looking at Jongin again.

 _Food?_ Dyo asks. _I think we all need food._

Kyungsoo doesn’t say anything as he sits up, his mouth forming a grimace at all the slobber against his face. He shoots Dyo a dirty look before standing.

“I hate it when he does this,” he says. “It’s gross.”

Yejin’s laugh is loud the more she looks at Kyungsoo’s distaste. She snorts before covering her mouth. “He does this quite often?” she asks looking at Jongin who nods. “I have no doubt he would. Dyo has always been overly affectionate to Kyungsoo after he marked him as his rider. Kyungsoo would leave for a couple of hours only to have Dyo pounce on him, licking his face and purring like a newborn cub. It’s cute honestly.”

Jongin smiles hesitantly to her, barely showing his pearly whites before his stomach growls again. Yejin looks surprised for a second before she nods.

”I guess this is good night?” she asks, her eyes traveling to Kyungsoo’s arm where his armband sits. He glances at it before covering it when his hand.

Kyungsoo nods when a tiger leaps into the air, landing in front of Kyungsoo. Beautiful by nature, the tiger’s orange skin looks bright in the pale moonlight. His yellow eyes staring at Kyungsoo as if mocking and him and telling him to run from him again. Kyungsoo sighs.

“Let’s go home, Kyuhyun,” he whispers. “So, I can say hello and break everything off.”

Yejin’s smile looks sad. “You do what you need to do Kyungsoo,” she says. “I know this marriage would have been nothing to either of us. We love each other too much as friends to be married to each other. Besides, I believe the person you love is a lot closer than you know.”

Kyungsoo sends a bright smile Yejin’s way. “If only he would figure it out,” he says glancing to Jongin. “Might take a while though.”

Kyuhyun lets out a tiny whine telling Kyungsoo he would like to leave now. It’s a couple of hours run from here to where Kyungsoo’s family manor is.

Jongin mounts Dyo first followed by Kyungsoo and with a wave of his hand, they’re gone into the night.

 

 

Somewhere along the way, Dyo loses Kyuhyun with a loud shout. They’re happy to have lost the tiger shifter as the overbearing animal wouldn’t stop running in circles around Dyo as they ran.

When Kyungsoo hears Jongin’s stomach growl again, he reaches into his bag and hands Jongin some jerky. He offers some to Dyo who takes one bite out of the small strips before asking for more. He gives Jongin two more strips and three for himself before giving the rest to Dyo.

Jongin’s not paying attention to anything around him as he looks the nightlife of Artio. As they run, Dyo passes some bears who begin to run with them all while complaining to Kyungsoo they were all males and a where are all the females? They come across of a mixed flock of bats and owls soaring through the sky as well as a small array of massive hedgehogs Jongin tries to touch.

“You can’t touch the hedgehogs,” Kyungsoo says. “Especially the wild ones.”

Jongin stops trying to touch things he shouldn’t.

“It’s a shame we can’t see all this during the day,” Jongin sighs. “If it’s as pretty as you make it sound out to be, I wouldn’t mind seeing it. However, I think the night looks nice.”

Kyungsoo raises a brow. “I thought you feared dark.”

“Only a little and when I’m by myself. I feel you sitting behind me and I know I am riding Dyo which makes the dark seem friendlier than what I like to make it out as.”

Kyungsoo doesn’t know what’s going on through Jongin’s mind as he leans against Kyungsoo’s chest and looks up to the sky. The moon and stars shine brightly, illuminating the way to Kyungsoo’s family manor. There’s a content smile on Jongin’s face as he stares.

“It seems,” he says pointing upward. “My people have different stories for different things. Like stars. Before I could travel to different worlds, my grandfather used to tell me stories about how stars were formed and what they meant.

“He told me this one story of a woman from the stars. He never could remember her name but she brought hope and peace to all the families of Mielikki and of Ma’at. She was their savior, the person who would protect them as time went on. When word got out she had passed during a war, my people honored her at night. We named stars after the stories of her people.”

Jongin points a large star. “This is a different sky to mine but it seems maybe this star is in the right place. We named it Orion after one of the stories she brought to us. I’ve never been told the story of Orion but I know he was a hunter like most of the plain Mielikkians.”

As Jongin talks about the different stories from Mielikki, Kyungsoo fights the feeling of wrapping his arms around the male in front of him. Although he’s a little big to be in Kyungsoo’s arms, it feels right for him to lean against Kyungsoo’s body.

“We have a similar story about a woman from the stars,” Kyungsoo says. “She was the one who told us the names of most of these creatures or what they’re called on her home. After a time, we began to use those names she called our animals because they were easier for the next generation to say. Some of the people were upset but soon we began learning two names for each animal and it’s always have stuck. I believe the farther up north you go, the more you hear the older names for the animals and the shifters.”

Kyungsoo continues to fight the urge of wanting to wrap his arms around Jongin.

“Sometimes I call them both because it slips out.”

“What’s the term for bear?” Jongin asks looking up at Kyungsoo.

“Ugo.”

“Ugo,” Jongin repeats. “You’re Kyungsoo, the ugo rider.”

Kyungsoo laughs. “I am.”

Jongin opens his mouth to say something when he spots something hurling its way towards them. He sits up as fast as he can, placing his hand against Dyo’s shoulder and teleporting them a few feet away. Dyo turns and begins to growl low in his throat before roaring.

 _We’re being attacked._ He says helpfully. _And I don’t know by who._

“Jongin!” Kyungsoo shouts as the other teleports away. “Get back here!”

The Mielikkian doesn’t say anything as he beings to fight someone in front of him. Cursing under his breath, Kyungsoo looks for something to fight with. Normally, he would use the power of his Gem but with the way things are right now, he can’t.

_I left my hammer at home._

_And in your bag?_ Dyo asks.

Kyungsoo reaches for his bag, taking out the small war hammer before tying the bag back on his back a little tighter.

 _Hold on._ Dyo shouts as he leaps through the air and attacks a person rushing behind Jongin. Kyungsoo’s body lurches but he stays on.

“Let’s help.”

Dyo roars loudly and goes to attack one of their attackers. He sinks his teeth into the man’s shoulder and makes a satisfying sound at the back of his throat when the man screams. Kyungsoo swings his hammer at the man’s side and in no time at all, the man crumbles the ground, his chest barely rising.

They move on.

“I thought you said your people were kind of friendly, Kyungsoo!” Jongin shouts.

“I never said anything of the sort,” Kyungsoo shouts back swinging his hammer and missing a leaping wolf. “I only said they protect what they believe to be theirs! We’re animals, Jongin!”

Suddenly all the attacks stop. The sound of snapping teeth and snarls end while the men attacking Jongin drop their weapons.

“Lord Kyungsoo,” someone says. “My apologies. We thought you were someone else.”

It takes Kyungsoo a couple of seconds to realize who is talking. Because it’s dark, Kyungsoo can’t see the people in front him until he sees an outline of an animal. Kyungsoo growls.

 _It’s a bear, Kyungsoo._ Dyo says baring his teeth.

He’s home.

“What’s going on!?” he shouts getting off Dyo who snarls at the people in front of his rider.

The men drop to a knee and look down but no one says a thing. Kyungsoo fumes as he makes his way to Jongin who stands speechless at the person kneeling in front of him. Kyungsoo places his hands all over Jongin to make sure he’s not hurt anywhere and lets out a relieved sigh when he finds nothing.

“Is there going to be no answer?” Kyungsoo says, grabbing Jongin’s hand and pulling him towards Dyo.

Before Kyungsoo can open his mouth to say something else, Kyuhyun, who still in his tiger form, walks out from the woods. He looks around at the damage before shifting into his humanoid form.

“Please accept their apology, Lord Kyungsoo,” he says. “It’s been a strange few weeks here at the manor.”

Kyungsoo narrows his eyes. “You haven’t told me this.”

“Because I wasn’t allowed to,” Kyuhyun replies. “Lord Nichkhun ordered me not to say anything about the attacks against the riding bears.”

“What’s been happening?” Kyungsoo demands.

“It’s something your father will have to tell you. It’s also part of the reason why the Temple Warriors traveled to Hestia.”

Kyungsoo looks around at the people on the ground. He didn’t even see their bear symbols on their skin. It would have made a larger difference if he had.

However, when he looks closer, the bear symbol looks different than the one of his family. The bear is smaller and instead of the bear being brown and wearing a crown, it’s grey and has a spear in one of its paws.

“And the reason has something to do with the Northern bears coming here,” Kyungsoo asks motioning to the man’s symbol. “What could be happening for my father to call for help from our cousins?”

One of the men stands up and bows towards Kyungsoo before standing straight. “Things have been in disarray, my lord. Creatures of night attacking clans, flocks, and prides.”

“Minghao!” Kyuhyun shouts.

“Creatures of night?” Kyungsoo asks ignoring Kyuhyun’s shouts. “What do you mean? The night animals?”

Minghao shakes his head, the brown locks moving with him. “No, my lord. Creatures we’ve never seen before. I don’t believe they’re creatures from anywhere within Artio or Ma’at.”

“Aliens?” Jongin asks his free hand petting Dyo’s fur.

“I believe so,” Minghao replies. “These creatures are vile and sometimes take the form of our people and animals. It’s why we’re not fighting with our bears.”

Kyungsoo crosses his arms over his chest. “I don’t think that’s smart,” he says. “Where are you stationed?”

“At your family’s manor. We aren’t very far.”

“Then let us go. I need to have a word with my father.”

Kyungsoo turns on his heel and mounts Dyo with Jongin getting on behind him.

_Kyungsoo. These creatures might have something to do with Ohri’s rot._

_I know._

“Kyungsoo,” comes Jongin’s voice as Dyo begins running again. “You don’t think?”

“It’s something with Ohri,” Kyungsoo says. “This is a lot bigger than what we thought. We need to get back to Hestia and report everything. I fear it’s the only thing we can do at this point. We found nothing in library other than the other planets having trees as well.”

Jongin is silent but Kyungsoo can picture the far-off look on Jongin’s face. It’s the same look he had when he said this Life Tree is called Sariel.

“Once we get back to Hestia,” Kyungsoo says. “Maybe Yixing or Zitao can have a look at the library and maybe they’ll be able to tell us something we couldn’t find.”

“Do you think they’ll be able to find something?”

“I can hope but first we need to find out more information before we can head back,” Kyungsoo pauses. “You don’t have to stay here,” he says. “Since you know about Sariel, you can go back to Mielikki and begin to look for her. Maybe your government might have something to for you to look at.”

Jongin leans his head against Kyungsoo’s back. “I don’t want to,” he says. “I feel like I would be going on a long adventure looking for a tree. Sariel has been missing for thousands of years and I don’t even know where to start. I don’t think I could find her on my own, anyways.”

“Do you know someone on Mielikki who can start the process?”

“I don’t— I do. I do have someone who can start the process of looking for her.”

“Then go,” Kyungsoo says as he sees puffs of smoke coming from in front of him. The smoke doesn’t look like massive fires but fires to keep people warm and to ward off other creatures of the night. “Tell them to begin looking and come back. Once we figure out what’s happening here, then we can go and look for Sariel and the other trees.”

Kyungsoo feels Jongin nodding.

“Do you think whatever is happening will happen to the other trees?” Jongin asks.

Kyungsoo is silent for a couple of minutes trying to figure out how to say yes. Before he can open his mouth, however, Dyo breaks through trees and into the small village his father rules over.

People and bears alike begin to fill the streets as Dyo runs and before he knows it, they’re standing in front of the gates of his childhood home.

It looks the same to Kyungsoo. The same three-story home which has brick walls covered in vines and the same windows Kyungsoo remembers watching children play. The fountain in the middle is the same with the only difference it wasn’t running anymore. It was dry making the rest of the property seem bland and almost frightening.

There’s a loud roar Kyungsoo recognizes as his father’s bear, Buck. Dyo lets out a roar of his own.

“Jongin off,” Kyungsoo says hurriedly as there’s a yelp followed by pounding footsteps of a massive animal.

Kyungsoo pulls Jongin off the moment he sees Buck barreling towards Dyo. His father’s bear shows no signs of stopping as he becomes faster in his footsteps.

 _Save me,_ Dyo moans before dodging Buck’s tackle.

Dyo doesn’t bare his teeth at the older bear and instead begins to run away from the other. As much as Kyungsoo would love to help his bear, he can’t. Buck would show the same affection he’s giving Dyo and there doesn’t seem to be any time.

_Dyo we need to go._

_I know but Buck isn’t letting me!_

“Buck stop!” Kyungsoo shouts, quietly hoping the massive bear won’t come his way. “We need to speak to father and we need to speak to him now.”

Buck stops chasing Dyo and stares at Kyungsoo.

 _He knows,_ Dyo says. _He says your father has been waiting for you. Seungsoo is here too._

Kyungsoo nods and motions Jongin to follow him.

“Quick run down on my family,” Kyungsoo whispers. “They’re almost insane. My father is stricter than hell but he will most likely begin to play with your ears since they’re pointed. My mother will most likely egg him on to do so and since my cousin is here, who knows what will happen.”

Jongin gives Kyungsoo a look of disbelief. “Wait, what?”

“I know,” Kyungsoo sighs. “There are reasons why I don’t want to come home. Taking the seat is one of them because my father will force the seat down my throat.”

“I thought you didn’t want to come home because your family doesn’t seem to like you very much.”

Kyungsoo sighs following the animals. “It’s not they don’t like me, I just don’t fit with what they do. My father has been super traditional is everything and he’s not going to like giving up the seat to someone else and the fact I don’t want to marry Yejin. There’s more to my family than meets the eye.”

Jongin lets a small chuckle at the look on Kyungsoo’s face.

 _Kyungsoo, gem,_ Dyo says as Buck nuzzles his head against his shoulder.

He shrugs off his bag and places his war hammer on the ground before grabbing the armband’s box. Opening it, he sighs and takes it off, placing it inside. Once the box is closed and placed back in his bag, he puts his hammer away and stands straight, walking towards the door.

He doesn’t say anything when Jongin opens the door and is tackled in a bear hug. Kyungsoo however, feels blood rushing to his head as he feels fur that shouldn’t be so soft. He pats at the bear in front of him, hoping the other will stop.

“Mother,” Kyungsoo huffs. “Please let go.”

The bear holds on tighter as if afraid to let him go.

Soon the fur is pushed away for human skin and the sound of cooing reaches Kyungsoo’s ears.

“I can’t believe your home!” his human mother shouts. “My baby never comes home anymore. Why don’t you come home, my cub? We all miss you here!”

Kyungsoo sighs mentally at his mother’s words.

It’s the same thing every time Kyungsoo leaves home for more than a couple of weeks. He looks her up and down to see she’s still the same. Her hair is still long, mere inches above the ground. Her gold eyes hold nothing but love and want for her child. She wears her normal attire of a black multi-length dress with long princess sleeves. Along with her waist is a leather corset with multiple buckles. She wears her bow and arrow strapped to her back as if she’s getting ready to go out.

“Your father will be happy you’re here!” she says with a bright smile. “I can’t seem to believe it myself.” Her eyes travel to Jongin. “And who do we have here?”

“Mother, this is Jongin. He’s the Gem of Space and he’s from Mielikki. Jongin, this is my mother, Qian. She’s also a bear rider.”

“And the person you got your gold eyes from,” Jongin blurts out.

Kyungsoo feels a flush rising to his cheeks as his mother squeals in delight.

“The exact person!” she says. “They’re pretty eyes, aren’t they?” she asks. “It’s how I got Kyungsoo’s father to notice me. There must be something about gold eyes that has people falling for us.”

Jongin laughs to hide his embarrassment and Kyungsoo can’t blame him. They need to keep going but he doesn’t know if it’s possible with how his mother is. She’ll keep talking even though she might have to go somewhere.

“Let me take you to your father,” she says after a moment of silence. “I know you need to speak to him and it’s important. You’ve brought home a Gem, Kyungsoo, and not just any Gem. A Gem from the Aesir planets. Something has to be wrong.”

Before Qian can take step towards Kyungsoo’s father, she’s pushed away and in her place, is another bear. This one has a silly smile on its face before they let out a long purr and a lick.

“Hello Mother,” he says. “I’ve missed you too.”

“Victoria what I have told you about pushing people?” Qian shouts. “It’s not nice and Kyungsoo has to talk to Khun.”

Victoria makes a keening noise at the back of her throat before stepping away and allowing the two Gems to follow her.

The inside of Kyungsoo’s house looks nothing like the outside. While it keeps the stone walls, the place is filled with paintings and pictures of bears. A long staircase fills a corner of the room as it spirals off above.

Victoria walks next to Kyungsoo just as one of the side doors open and Dyo walks through. Victoria sees Dyo and looks at Kyungsoo before bouncing off and pressing kisses to Dyo’s face. Kyungsoo smiles before he turns back to his mother who has a bright smile on her face.

“Mother,” he says. “What’s going on?”

The smile wipes itself off Qian’s face. “Terrible things, Kyunggie. Very terrible things. I don’t even know where to begin. I know your father sent for you through the Temple Warriors because of Ohri and what’s happening here but he won’t tell me anything else. I didn’t even know about Seungsoo coming from the north.”

Qian’s answer doesn’t answer Kyungsoo’s question at all but he doesn’t push her. His mother likes to speak and riddles and this isn’t going to be the last time she’s going to say something like this.

“Okay, then tell me, are you fighting?”

Qian doesn’t answer and instead reaches for her son’s hands, intertwining her fingers with his. “I’m doing what I think is best. Your father has already tried to stop me but you know how that goes.”

Victoria and Dyo join them to moment they step foot into the hallway which leads into Nichkhun’s study. Qian pulls her son in front and stares.

“I know you know about the marriage to Yejin,” she says. “The look on your face can’t tell me otherwise. We wanted this marriage for you because we didn’t know how to proceed. Things here aren’t looking too well and with Ohri’s rot, I fear the end of Artio. Your marriage to Yejin was supposed to continue both lines down the road but I know that’s not what you want. Follow what you want, Kyunggie. Not what your father and I want for you. We want to protect you but we know that you are your own person and your father will get over it.”

Kyungsoo looks at his mother, shocked. He forgot how perceptive his mother could be and she always knew what he wanted. He used to call it mother’s intuition but this ran further than that. His mother is a smart woman and knows how to read people.

For her words, Kyungsoo is grateful. His mother is the most understanding and the reasonable one out of the two and he knows his father is going to the hard one to crack.

“He won’t listen to me,” he says. “You and I both know that. Father will do what he wants because it’s the best thing for him. It’s always been like that.”

The look on Qian’s face is a sad one as she continues to lead Kyungsoo and Jongin to her husband. It’s not until they reach the door does she talk again.

“Your father loves you and will support you in anything you need,” she says. “Just believe in him.”

With that, Qian and Victoria turn and leave. Kyungsoo knows she’s going to fight and he wishes that she didn’t have too but his mother is one of the best fighters in their clan and she’ll be a powerful help.

“Soo?” Jongin calls out. “What the real reason why you don’t want to come home? It doesn’t seem like your mother is insane or does she seem not to understand you because it looks like she does.” Jongin pauses and places his hand down against Kyungsoo’s shoulder. “Could it be your running away from something?”

The question has Kyungsoo freezing before he turns around. He looks at Jongin with wide eyes before he shakes his head and clears his throat. “That’s not true,” he whispers. “Not true at all.”

Jongin is silent for a moment before nodding. “If that’s what you say,” he says and knocks on the door for Kyungsoo.

For the first time since Kyungsoo has known Jongin, he feels a little bit of a cold shoulder from the other. Kyungsoo bites his lip when he hears his father’s faint, come in.

 _Breath Kyungsoo,_ Dyo says. _Everything will be alright._

_You think?_

_I know so._

Liar, Kyungsoo wants to say but he doesn’t and opens the door.


	4. 1.4

Kyungsoo’s father sits at his desk, his hands filled with papers. He looks up when Kyungsoo’s clears his throat, not realizing who he is. Recognition takes over his features as he stands up, placing the papers in his hands against his desk.

Kyungsoo looks almost shy standing in front of his father as he lets out a small smile, his mind still reeling from Jongin’s words.

“Hello Father,” he says. “I hope you’ve been well.”

Kyungsoo’s father lets out a smile. “I hope you have been well. Dyo has been informing Buck and Victoria of your travels.”

Dyo lets out a snort as Kyungsoo turns to him.  _Do you really think I wouldn’t tell your parents if you were okay or not?_

_Did you tell them?_

Dyo is silent and Kyungsoo takes his silence as a yes.

“Are you feeling better?” his father asks.

“I’m feeling okay. I just don’t know what happened.”

“Where did you end up going to?”

“Remus.”

Kyungsoo’s father blinks before nodding. “It’s a few months trip from here. It’s in a different system, is it not?”

“Yes, sir.”

Nichkhun nods and looks over to Jongin. “I see. Who are you?”

Before Kyungsoo can open his mouth, Jongin introduces himself with small smile and a bow. It’s when Jongin replies he’s the Gem of Space does Nichkhun’s eyes narrow and he clears his throat. There it is again. The apprehension towards Jongin because of his origin.

“It’s nice to meet you,” he says with a small bow of his own, his tone borderline rude. “It’s an honor to have the Gem of Space in my home.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, sir,” Jongin says, ruffling his hair.

As anything else Kyungsoo wants to do with Jongin, he holds back the feeling of wanting to run his fingers through the long blonde locks. He looks to his father who has somehow walked over to where they stand and reaches out to Jongin. Touching the tips of Jongin’s pointed ears, Nichkhun flashes a bright smile.

Maybe Kyungsoo is wrong about his father’s tone. Maybe he’s living in the past instead of now. Maybe his father has finally changed.

“They’re pointy,” he says causing Jongin to throw a look to Kyungsoo who shrugs his shoulders.

He did say his father was going to touch his ears and look, Kyungsoo is right.

Kyungsoo watches as his father continues to poke and prod at Jongin’s ears, fully enjoying the sight of Jongin’s red face. Although he sees is quite often, it’s always something nice to see.

Jongin’s stomach growls along with Kyungsoo’s starling Nichkhun who frowns.

“You haven’t eaten?” he says.

“No, sir. We didn’t have a moment to,” Kyungsoo responds watching Jongin’s face get redder. He vaguely begins to wonder if Jongin’s face can get any redder than what it is.

“Well, we can’t have that. Let’s get you food. I’m sure both Jongin’s and your stomach will enjoy it, yes? We can talk at the dinner table because I’m sure there’s a lot you have to tell me and a lot I have to tell you.”

Kyungsoo nods when his father leads him out of the study and back out into the hallway where Dyo is watching and listening. He nudge’s Nichkhun’s stomach before turning around and leading the way into the dining room.

“How are you liking Artio so far?” Nichkhun asks Jongin. “Well, I hope.”

Jongin nods. “It’s a beautiful planet. The sights and the sounds are like Mielikki’s.”

“You’re from the forests?”

“I’m from a mountain clan.”

“I see. Well, you’re welcome here on Artio and in my house whenever you’re staying here. I’m sure there’s a lot more to see than what Kyungsoo is showing you.”

It’s almost like Jongin has forgotten about what had happened a few minutes ago outside Nichkhun’s door. When Jongin opens his mouth to say something, the older bear rider cuts him off.

“Don’t be too hard on Kyungsoo for not coming home all the time. I know one of the reasons why he doesn’t like coming home all the time and I hope it changes but the death of a loved one is hard enough.”

Jongin whips around to Kyungsoo who looks to the ground. “Father,” Kyungsoo says trying to change the subject. “How is Seungsoo liking the south?”

“Well, I hope,” he says. “However, I never can tell with him. He acts like your older brother but he’s not and I’m not sure if the south is really for him. He keeps complaining everything is too hot and I don’t know how to feel.”

“It is a little hotter here than in the North.”

“I guess so.”

Dyo stops before the dining room walking to the side and sits with Buck who was lost after Victoria and Qian made their appearance.

Kyungsoo’s father takes a seat at the head of the table while Kyungsoo sits next to him and Jongin next to Kyungsoo. Jongin looks around the dining room.

The room is bright ivory, with a single long table which is covered with a white sheet. Three candles are placed in the middle of the table with plates, napkins, and utensils in the appropriate spots. Everything about this dining room screams high class, something Jongin isn’t used it.

They don’t have to wait before plates of meats, soups, breads, and vegetables are placed in front of them. The sight causes Jongin’s mouth to water and the smells force his stomach to dig in. Kyungsoo smiles at this and begins to serve himself.

“This is like Hestia’s roasted chicken just with fewer spices,” Kyungsoo says after he’s filled his plate and grabbed Jongin’s. “I think you will like it since it’s chicken and I know how you feel about the bird.”

Kyungsoo places the plate in front of Jongin and looks to his father who nods. He takes a bite of the meat and moans at the taste. There’s nothing like the tasted of roasted chicken on an empty stomach.

To Kyungsoo, it feels odd to be eating and having his father watch him eat. He knows how early his parents eat during the day but because of everything going on, Kyungsoo forgot but how his father knew to have food ready for them is something Kyungsoo wouldn’t mind knowing.

 _Slow down,_ comes Dyo’s voice. _Or you’re going to choke._

He hadn’t realized he’s eating too fast. He’s just hungry and starved like he hadn’t eaten in week. Perhaps it’s true with his coma but he’s eaten afterward and it was never like this. Kyungsoo slows down before taking a gulp of water and making a noise at the back of his throat.

“Your illness,” his father begins. “Really left you hungry.”

Kyungsoo nods as he takes a second to breathe and compose himself.

“Maybe you just missed having home cooking,” his father continues. “I know it’s not the same but I remember going up to the North and missing the Southern cooking so much I ate like a starved animal. Your mother had never seen me like that before. Maybe it’s just something about Artio’s cooking,” Nichkhun laughs.

The meal passes quicker than Kyungsoo would have liked but they’re about to have the conversation he’s been waiting for. In his mind, the first topic which needs to be addressed is his marriage to Yejin and the Chair position. He feels bad for bringing it up first but he worries there won’t be any time to talk about and they’ll go through with something Kyungsoo doesn’t want.

Kyungsoo squares his shoulders like he’s preparing for a fight. “Father,” he says. “There’s a lot to talk about and the first thing I would like to talk about is getting married to Yejin and taking the Chair.”

Nichkhun doesn’t blink as Kyungsoo is talking which makes him a ball of nerves. His palms are beginning to sweat and his heart is beating faster than he would like. He takes a quick glance at Jongin who looks just about ready to bolt at whatever is going to be said.

“I don’t want to marry Yejin,” he says for what feels like the millionth time today. “I really don’t. I love her like a sister and I don’t want to ruin it.”

Kyungsoo’s father crosses his arms over his chest and leans back into his seat. He doesn’t take his eyes off Kyungsoo. “But this isn’t about what you want, Kyungsoo. This is about what you have to do,” his father says, “to take the Chair, you have to marry Yejin.”

“I don’t want the Chair,” Kyungsoo says with a sigh. “How can I take the Chair and be a Gem? I can’t do both at the same time.”

“Sure, you can. It’s not hard. I rule this family and keep the Chair as the heir should.”

Kyungsoo’s nerves begin to melt away the more he talks.

“Yes, you do but this is different. Something a lot bigger than watching a family and a planet. I wouldn’t just be watching one, but ten other planets who need to be watched. Being a Gem isn’t just some side job, it’s an important one. One that needs to be always filled. It’s the reason is why when one Gem is gone, the next one of chosen right away.”

Kyungsoo can tell his father is getting angry at everything he’s saying. It’s not like Kyungsoo is trying to be rude to his father, it’s the truth. The Gems take too much of him being away from his home planet it’s almost scary. He barely visits Hestia and he lives on it.

“It’s the same thing,” his father says. “You’ll take the Chair and you’ll marry Yejin and it’s final. To protect this world, this is what you need to do.”

Kyungsoo sighs and glances at Jongin who looks sad and he begins to feel bad. This isn’t a conversation they need to have with Jongin here in the first place. He opens his mouth to say something but Jongin catches his eye and shakes his head.

“But I can’t just protect one world when there are others out there,” he says looking at Jongin. “You don’t realize but what’s happening to Ohri is connected to the other planets and to protect my planet, I need to protect the others.”

“Kyungsoo!”

Kyungsoo turns to face his father. “It’s the truth,” he says. “And it’s nothing but the truth. Ohri’s problem isn’t just Artio’s, it’s Sinnan’s, Mielikki’s, Muse’s, and all the others.”

“Ohri’s problem belongs to Artio and Artio alone,” Nichkhun says his voice raising. “It’s bad enough we don’t know what’s wrong with Ohri and now you’re saying we have to bring the other planets into this? Let’s not mind the Vanir because we are a Vanir planet but the Aesir as well. You’re even traveling with a man from the Aesir! Are you out of your mind?”

And there it is. Kyungsoo knew it was too good to be true. His father changing his way while he was gone? Only in his dreams. From a mixture of anger and wariness, Kyungsoo takes a deep breath.

“You’re not listening!” Kyungsoo almost shouts. “How can this be just a problem for Artio if it’s affecting the other planets? What about Geb? Geb has Eurielle who is connected to Ohri and you’re telling me being here marrying Yejin, and taking the Main Seat in the council is the best thing I can do right now even though I’m a protector of Ma’at?”

Nichkhun’s face turns red. “Then you have no choice but to pick Artio. This has been your destiny since you were little. This is what you were meant to do since you were born. This is your role on Artio!”

Kyungsoo wants nothing more than to lift his hands up and scream at his father. As much as he loves the man, most of the time he doesn’t listen to reason. His father will always have his mind made up about something and if it’s something he doesn’t like then that’s it.

He stares at his father. “How can you say something like that?” Kyungsoo whispers. “How can you tell me I need to pick Artio over the rest of Ma’at? You’re telling me to let the other planets fall into despair because whatever is affecting Ohri will affect the other trees including the one on Geb and you don’t want me to help?” Kyungsoo stands up, slamming his hands on the table. “You can’t tell me what it is I need to for Artio when I’m trying my best to do what is right. There’s so much you don’t think or you think you know. Artio is not the center of Ma’at and it will never be. I love my planet but I’ve gotten to know the other planets including the Aesir and I love them as well. I’m not going to let the other planets die because you can’t see this is a lot bigger than you think.”

Nichkhun doesn’t say anything as he stands up and crosses the dining room. His pale face is bright red and brown eyes flaming in rage. There’s an instinct in Kyungsoo’s body telling him he needs to apologize to his father and make everything right. To tell him, of course, he’ll choice Artio over the Gems and the rest of Ma’at but the rest of his body is yelling at him for even thinking it. Kyungsoo cannot be so selfish. Not in this job.

Kyungsoo needs to protect Ma’at in order to protect Ohri and Artio. It’s just the way it must be.

Nichkhun stands in the door and doesn’t turn to Kyungsoo.

“You will marry Yejin and take the Chair at the end of the month and that’s final. Your destiny and your duty are to both Ohri and Artio,” Nichkhun says before he leaves and Kyungsoo screams.

“And I refuse both!” he yells. “I refuse what you tell me and I’ll do what I think is right!”

Kyungsoo feels his body shaking as he hears his father’s footsteps echoing down the hall. He’s furious his father can be selfish enough to tell Kyungsoo he must take the Chair and to marry Yejin. He doesn’t want them.

“Soo?” comes Jongin’s voice but Kyungsoo stays standing and looking at the spot where his father stood.

“He’s not going to listen to reason,” Kyungsoo says. “I understand what he wants for Artio, I really do but there’s more to this picture than he thinks and it hurts me he doesn’t see it. How can he not see it?”

Kyungsoo’s body slumps forward and Jongin catches him. He places Kyungsoo in the chair and wipes his face. Kyungsoo feels the tears spilling over. When had he started crying?

He looks at Jongin and gives the other a look of ‘now do you understand what I meant about my father before covering his eyes and taking some deep breaths.

 _I’m going to ask Jongin to take me to Hestia. Do you want to come?_ Kyungsoo asks Dyo, keeping his hands against his face. _I need to get out of here for a while and cool down._

Dyo doesn’t say anything for a while causing Kyungsoo to remove his hands and look at his bear. He’s staring at Jongin as if they’re having a lengthy conversation about something until Jongin sighs and wraps his arms around Kyungsoo in a comforting gesture.

 _No_ , Dyo says. _I’ll stay here and let you know if anything happens._

_You haven’t told me what you’ve found out._

_The other bear rider, Minghao brought it up. The alien like creatures. Yejin began talking about them when she was inspecting the tree. She and the other Temple Scholars believe they’re coming from the tree. Every night, there’s almost like a black object around Ohri and the next nights, there are these attacks we no one can explain. Yejin sends people out when she can but she doesn’t think it’s enough._

_And you didn’t think to tell us then?_

_I had no time. I was preoccupied with trying to not get you and Jongin killed on the way to the manor._

Kyungsoo sighs and nods. _Fine. Stay here, then. See if you can find anything else about these creatures? No. Aliens. See if you can find something out. At this point, one of the only things we can do is find the cause to Ohri and look for the other trees. Let me know if there’s any more information._

Dyo doesn’t say anything for a moment looking at Kyungsoo who wears a frown on his face. The bear watches as his rider stares off into space, his mind seemly thinking about something Dyo can’t hear. He stands and walks to the other, pressing his snout into Kyungsoo’s side, being mindful of Jongin who stands protectively over him.

Kyungsoo flashes a small smile to his bear before dazing off again.

 _You’re thinking,_ Dyo says licking Kyungsoo’s hand. _What are you thinking of?_

 _I’m not_ , Kyungsoo admits. _My mind is blank._

_Then the order?_

_I said what came to my mind. I’m not thinking. I’m not even sure the order I gave you or the story you just told me makes sense._

Dyo whines and presses more kisses to Kyungsoo’s hand. Kyungsoo’s smile grows a little more before he stands and turns to Jongin.

“Can you take us to Hestia?” Kyungsoo asks.

“Now?”

“Yes.”

Jongin blinks. “I may not be able to. I don’t think my body would be ready to go just yet. In the morning?”

It’s not the answer he wants to hear, but Kyungsoo nods in understanding. He feels almost selfish for not thinking about the condition Jongin is in. The other is suffering from his reaction to Ohri and the fact it took almost two hours to get from the Temple to the Manor with very little food. Jongin needs to rest and Kyungsoo isn’t helping by asking silly questions.

“Let’s get some rest then. I’ll show you to a guest room.”

Kyungsoo unwraps Jongin’s arms and begins to turn around only to have Jongin latch onto his wrist. He pulls Kyungsoo and walks out the door without saying word.

Jongin twists and turns around the house as if he grew up inside of the bear manor. He avoids opening any doors and passing shifters and bears alike. Kyungsoo can feel his jaw dropping as the person who has never stepped foot into the manor before makes his way around like he has.

The child of the house has no time to explain the different rooms and why there’s so many of them. They pass closed doors which leads to bedrooms, studies, and small living rooms before walking into one wing Kyungsoo knows all too well.

Different pictures and banners line the walls, showing Kyungsoo’s growth from being a child to being an adult. A painting of Kyungsoo and Dyo sits at the end of the wall with Kyungsoo’s bright smile being the key point.

He wants to say something but Jongin continues, passing Kyungsoo’s bedroom.

He continues until Kyungsoo knows the path to the spot he always liked as a child. The one place where he could think without people getting in his way. Silently, he thanks Dyo for directing Jongin to his place because had he brought Jongin to a room, who knows what Kyungsoo would have done. He needs to be distracted from things his father wants him to do and maybe being with Jongin would be best.

Once Kyungsoo realizes where they’re going, he locks his fingers with Jongin’s and takes the lead.

“It’s faster if we go this way,” he says. “Dyo’s taking the longer route.”

The smile on Jongin’s face is almost blinding as Kyungsoo’s face heats up.

They travel up one set of stairs to the next before quickly taking the next flight up.

The door to the attic looks a little different from what Kyungsoo remembers. It used to be a simple brown door but now it’s an intricate door, engravings in the wood showing a story Kyungsoo knows all too well. He smiles at the pictures of a bear and her rider before pushing the door open.

It smells like dirt and musk, two things Kyungsoo and Jongin has gotten used to being a Gem. They’re used to visiting old libraries filled with lost stories of the many families of Ma’at. White sheets cover most the items while bookcases are filled with children’s story books.

Kyungsoo stops and looks at them, his fingers touching the spines. He can picture his mother telling him stories about the creation of Ohri or the story of Jiyoung and her bear Z, the same story that sits outside of the room on the door.

“Do you know all these stories?” Jongin asks and Kyungsoo looks up.

“Most,” he says looking back at the books with a fond smile. “They’re stories my mother used to read to me. Stories that made me want to travel around and create my own. When I turned eight, all my storybooks were gone and I refused to talk to my father because I knew he had taken them. I looked everywhere for them I couldn’t find them. It wasn’t until I turned eleven I had found them again.”

Jongin smiles. “And you were happy.”

“As happy as I could be in secret. I didn’t let my father know I had found these books. I couldn’t bear to part with them again. I was scared something else would happen and I wouldn’t know how to live with myself if something did.”

A look passes over Jongin’s face as he drags him away from the books. Kyungsoo lets out a startled shout when he feels his arm being pulled. He looks at the area Jongin is walking too and sees the door on the right.

“Is this it?” Jongin asks. “This is the door that leads to the roof.”

Kyungsoo nods and Jongin opens the door.

He smiles when he feels the air sitting around him. The hidden balcony is larger than what Kyungsoo remembers. Made from stone and wood, Kyungsoo’s balcony sits at a spot where the whole manor can be seen. He can see people milling about, running with bears and tigers. People shifting into their animals like they’re getting ready to fight.

“It’s beautiful,” Jongin says.

“It is,” Kyungsoo replies looking away from the commotion on the ground and instead to the view of the Artio.

They could only see the shapes of trees but the sky is filled with stars that are just as bright as Jongin’s smile.

Kyungsoo’s face flushes at his thought.

 _I heard that!_ Dyo shouts and Kyungsoo almost screams, but he keeps his mouth shut with a smile on his face.

Jongin moves the center of the balcony and pats the spot next to him before laying down. It takes a moment for Kyungsoo to move and when he does, Jongin pulls him to lie on his arm.

“It feels nice, doesn’t?” Jongin asks. “To be out in the open air like this.”

Kyungsoo covers his face and nods. “It feels nice,” he says but he’s pretty sure it comes out something like ‘ithj felit noen’.

Jongin laughs, his arm curling around Kyungsoo’s face.

“You really do have a beautiful planet. It reminds me of Mielikki.”

“Mielikki is filled with many forests and Artio seems like it just a giant forest with different areas filled meadows and rivers.”

“It’s the same then!”

Kyungsoo laughs. “I guess it is.”

It turns silent as Kyungsoo enjoys Jongin’s presence. It’s nice to have another person sharing the spot he’s grown to love so much.

He keeps his smile as he looks up at the stars and stares. He can’t help the thoughts which follow about his father and Ohri. He tries to keep the smile on his face, but slowly, he can feel it slip.

“My grandfather used to tell me a story,” Jongin says and Kyungsoo turns his head a little bit to look at him. “He used to tell me a story about a clan who believed two people could be born from the same tree. If they are, it’s said they will always be together.”

“I’ve heard something similar,” Kyungsoo says. “I don’t remember what it’s called, but it has the same concept.”

Jongin hums. “I didn’t mean to get upset earlier. Maybe it was a cross between being hungry and being tired, I’m not sure.”

Kyungsoo says nothing and instead, he closes his eyes, Jongin’s warmth seeping through his bones.

“One of the reasons,” Kyungsoo starts after a while, “I don’t like coming home is because of Mingyu’s death. He was the fourth person in our group, the tallest, and the youngest out of everyone. He was kind and everything people wanted to be. Mingyu was a mage, our rarest species and he loved to help people. He died when his village was attacked.

“I tried to go and help, I really did but there was nothing I could do. By the time I got there, his home was burning and his family was nowhere to be seen. When we were told Mingyu and his family went to fight the attackers, we went after them.”

Kyungsoo pauses in his story and squeezes his eyes shut. He can feel the tears starting to form behind his lids.

His mind begins to play the scene with Mingyu’s family.

He sees the despair on his mother’s face and the blood on his father’s. The Kim family stood at the edge of a cliff with bodies around them, Mingyu’s parents looking at Kyungsoo and Inseong with heartbreaking expressions. Mingyu’s older brother, Myungsoo, was screaming over the edge, yelling for Mingyu. Four mage staffs were next to Myungsoo’s feet hanging on the ledge before they watched Mingyu’s staff topple towards Mingyu’s watery grave.

“After the attack,” Kyungsoo continues. “Myungsoo told us everything. These raiders went to take the women and children while killing the men. However, the raiders didn’t realize there were mages within the village. When they found out, they ran with Mingyu’s family following them. He was pushed over the cliff protecting his brother’s back. For days after, we looked for Mingyu’s body and staff but we found nothing. Even today, there’s still nothing.”

“You were closer with Mingyu than Yejin and Inseong weren’t you?” Jongin asks.

Kyungsoo hums. “Mingyu was the first person I told when Dyo picked me as his rider and when I became the Gem of Earth. I told Mingyu my fears for taking over the Main Chair and he told me I wouldn’t be alone.

“I’ve always felt if I had accepted Mingyu’s invitation to stay with his family for a while then he would still be alive.”

Jongin hugs Kyungsoo tight against his body as memories of Mingyu and the others play in Kyungsoo’s mind. Memories when Mingyu laughed at the fact he was right about his magic powers. When Inseong screamed louder than anyone else when Mingyu was given his mage’s staff.

Happy memories.

Memories Kyungsoo will never forget.

“I miss him,” he whispers.

They stay silent for a while, Kyungsoo in his memory of Mingyu and Jongin listening to Kyungsoo’s breathing. Neither one of them realizes the moment they fell asleep because the next thing Kyungsoo knows, there’s light shining on his face and he’s still wrapped in Jongin’s embrace.

Heat flood to his cheeks but he doesn’t move. He likes the feeling of Jongin’s body wrapped around his too much.

 _Kyungsoo,_ Dyo calls. _I really hate to break up the feeling of Jongin’s arms around you but your father is looking for you and he’s calling a council meeting._

The bear rider sits up quickly, startling Jongin awake. For a moment, there’s panic written on Jongin’s face but it vanishes when he realizes where he’s at.

“Soo, what’s happening?”

Kyungsoo looks to him, his eyes wide. “My father is calling a council meeting with me invited. He’s going to give me the seat.”

_I did tell Buck to let him know you weren’t here. Isn’t Jongin supposed to take you to Hestia? It might be best if you left now._

“Jongin, we need to get to Hestia,” Kyungsoo says without missing a beat. “You said you would take us in-"

Kyungsoo blinks and the next thing he knows, he’s in his bed at the castle. “The morning. I really hate it when you do this.”

Jongin smiles and gets off the bed. “I know but let’s go. We have things to tell Yixing and the others.”

Kyungsoo follows Jongin and stands up. “You have to go to Mielikki and tell whoever it is about Sariel. You need to go now. I’ll tell Yixing and everyone else about the trees.”

Jongin opens his mouth to say something but Kyungsoo narrows his eyes at him. “Go.”

With a nod, Jongin is gone.

Kyungsoo sigh and stares at the place where a wall should be and not the accessible area of a meadow. Everything is as it should be which forces a small smile on Kyungsoo’s face. Shaking his head, Kyungsoo leaves his room in search of Yixing.

The first place he tries is the main dining hall which has no one besides Mija who looks startled with the fact Kyungsoo is in front of her. With a wave of his hand Kyungsoo shouts at the owl to let Sehun know about a meeting in a couple of minutes.

Mija coos and Kyungsoo leaves.

He heads towards Yixing’s room, ignoring the looks coming from the castle staff and groans in frustration when Yixing isn’t in his room.

One last place, he thinks. One of the castle libraries but which one?

Kyungsoo’s eyes snap open and he lets his feet take him.

In one of the highest towers is the largest library Kyungsoo has ever seen. Books upon books upon books line the tower walls before staircase spiral around and going to move levels with books. No matter how many times Kyungsoo visits this library, he’s always amazed at how many books this single library can hold.

“Yixing!” he yells. “Yixing are you here?”

There’s an echo with his voice screaming out while he waits for the Piiot to answer him. There’s no answer and Kyungsoo is about to turn away when there’s a faint call for his name.

He stays rooted in his spot before shouting to meet him in the main dining room because there’s information he found out while being on Artio. He waits a couple more minutes before he hears a shout of approval. Kyungsoo hurries back.

Kyungsoo tries to form words in his head with the proper information about the trees. He’s nervous because half of the Gems are people from the Vanir planets which means half of them did not believe in the Gems or really Mama. It was hard enough to get some of the others to realize the Gems were real and it wasn’t something people were making up.

The only way it would make sense is to take everyone to the Temple of Life, which might have to happen. They’re not outside the system and with the was Ohri is acting, there’s no guarantee using Ohri would be a promising idea. Using Jongin when the said male isn’t here is also out of the question. Maybe the portal. Or one of the spaceships.

Kyungsoo runs down the stairs and catches a glimpse the dining hall to see almost everyone is in there aside from a handful of people. Kyungsoo himself is running towards the dining room, Jongin’s on Mielikki talking to gods know who, Yixing is coming, and Baekhyun and Minseok are on Geb.

“Hey guys,” he says when he steps through the doorway.

Kris and Junmyeon sit on Liajeng who looks almost annoyed he’s here. Sehun is trying to unsuccessfully dodge Mija’s attacks with a laughing Jongdae and Zitao watching the entire exchange. Chanyeol and Luhan sit next to each other talking something Kyungsoo cannot hear.

Mija stops pecking her rider’s head and sends a coo towards Kyungsoo.

“I found something out,” Kyungsoo says. “And normally I would tell only Yixing but this affects everyone. It has something to do with what Yixing told me a couple of days ago. We need to wait for Yixing.”

For a brief second, everyone stops what they are doing before everything starts again. With a sigh, Kyungsoo sits at one of the staff’s tables and places his head down.

“I’m here,” Yixing says as he walks through the doorway. “And a bought a couple of friends.”

Coming from behind him is Minseok and Baekhyun who hold hands and look very out of place. Baekhyun’s harden expression isn’t one Kyungsoo sees on the Gebine too often. He catches Kyungsoo’s eye and let’s go of Minseok’s hand, running over to the Artioian.

“Eurielle is bad. I had no idea,” he says, his voice on the verge of panic. “I couldn’t find anything or anyone protecting her and we had to leave her with my family because I had to come and tell you what was going on. I was going to head to Artio and look for you there but Yixing told me you were here.”

Kyungsoo stares at Baekhyun, his mind racing a mile a minute. If Eurielle is in the same condition as Ohri then what about the other trees? He bites his bottom lip and looks away.

“Ohri is the same way,” he says. “He’s not doing too well and the Temple Head doesn’t know what to do. With the way my Gem is now, I can’t do anything.”

Kyungsoo hears Baekhyun breathing heavily.

Mija squawks loudly causing everyone to look at the owl who flaps her wings and pecks Sehun’s head.

“I told them,” comes Jongin’s voice and everyone looks to the center of the room. “I told my friend to begin looking for Sariel and man he was excited.”

Kyungsoo nods and watches as some people mouth the name ‘Sariel’. “Do they have an idea?”

“Taemin might,” Jongin says, sitting next to Kyungsoo. “But he’s not entirely sure. He says he needs to go the Old Library and look because there might be something there.”

“The faster he finds Sariel, the faster we can know her condition. According to Baekhyun, Eurielle isn’t doing too well either and we know what it can mean.”

Kyungsoo turns to Yixing who has a puzzled look on his face. He watches the realization flood through his features before full one staring at Kyungsoo.

“What is it you need to tell us, Kyungsoo?” Yixing asks. “It sounded important.”

Baekhyun and Minseok move to sit at the opposite table while Yixing stays standing.

“I know half of you won’t believe me,” he starts. “But it makes a whole lot of sense.”

Kyungsoo begins his story with Yixing’s message about the Gems coming from Life Trees and how there might be a tree on each planet but it’s something which had been gone from stories in a long time. He tells them about going to Ohri and hearing Ohri’s voice but he doesn’t remember what he was saying. He tells about the library he found as a child and the painting on the walls with trees and different names.

“So, you’re telling us,” Junmyeon says, “each planet has a Life Tree and we need to find them because who knows what’s affecting them?”

Junmyeon doesn’t look like he believes what Kyungsoo is saying and Kyungsoo can’t blame him. Not only is Junmyeon from Sinann, one of the Vanir planets but the idea sounds too far-fetched to him. But his experience inside of Artio’s Gem library causes him to believe the truth.

“I know it sounds strange but I promise this is what’s happening. Jongin saw the name of Mielikki’s tree and the area in which she stands but he couldn’t pinpoint an exact location.”

“I believe it,” Baekhyun says. “It makes sense why both Artio and Geb have trees and how they’re connected. All of the planets must have one.” He looks to Kyungsoo. “And if it’s true, they have to be in the same shape as Eurielle and Ohri.”

“When I saw the area Sariel is in,” Jongin cuts in before Kyungsoo can say anything. “I could feel evil seeping through. She’s fighting whatever is trying to happen to her but she wasn’t in a state like Ohri’s.” He looks to Kyungsoo. “They need to go to the library,” he says. “It’s the only way they will believe.”

Kyungsoo opens his mouth to agree but Yixing cuts him off.

“I don’t think so,” he says. “But I do think everyone needs to come with me. I have something to show you. I wasn’t sure what it was until Jongin and Kyungsoo started to talk about Sariel and the Gem Library on Artio.”

The Piiot turns on his heel and walks out the door before stopping and yelling if anyone is coming.

Liajeng lifts his massive body before flying with Kris and Junmyeon still on his back. Everyone else follows like baby ducks.

It’s quiet which is strange concept for the twelve Gems because normally, it’s loud with too many people talking at once and the riding animals making their own noises to annoy their riders. Jongin keeps up with Kyungsoo, glancing over to the Artioian for a couple of seconds before looking forward.

“This is strange,” he says voicing Kyungsoo’s thoughts. “Everyone is quiet.”

“And for good reason,” Kyungsoo says. “It’s hard to sit on the fact the other planets might have Life Trees. You were with me so you know.”

Jongin’s face flushes a little. “Right.”

Kyungsoo smiles. “How was Mielikki?”

“People couldn’t believe I was home. I couldn’t visit my mother and I know it’s going to backfire on me. She’s going to have a fit and so is my sister. I can already see the look on my sister’s face when she finds out I visited Mielikki and I didn’t go and see them. I can hear the fits in my head!”

Kyungsoo lets out a laugh at the cause of Jongin’s distress which causes Sehun and Zitao to look by with smirks on their faces. His face feels hot as he puts his hands on his cheeks.

“You laughed,” Jongin says with bright smile of his own. “I hadn’t seen you laugh so freely since you’ve woken up.”

Kyungsoo’s face heats up more at Jongin’s accusation. Of course, he hadn’t laughed like he because there wasn’t time for him to laugh freely. Trying to find the information about Ohri, being in a coma, everything was starting to pile up.

Before Kyungsoo can open his mouth to say something, they’re in front of the doors to a different library. He knows he hasn’t visited this one before but with how many libraries there are in the castle, he’s not surprised.

The library is huge with towering bookshelves filled with scrolls, books, and parchments. The room itself is strangely round and Kyungsoo has filled an odd sense of deja vu. Everything about this library looks the same as the one in Artio and Kyungsoo is confused.

There’s a set of stairs in the corner and Kyungsoo runs towards them, wanting to see everything in higher ground. Jongin follows with a low whisper of how it’s the same.

“Kyungsoo this library…” he trails off when they reach the top of the stairs.

They make way to the left of the next floor where they’re able to see out to the whole library.

“This is like the one in the Temple of Life on Artio. If we’re right then-”

Kyungsoo cuts himself off when Jongin and he stop on a balcony, looking at familiar sight.

There are ten bookshelves which don’t reach the middle of the room nor the walls and in the middle of the room where everyone is standing is a picture of three trees. Not just any trees, three specific trees.

“We’re still on Hestia,” Jongin asks. “Right?”

“From what I know of, yes. This is Hestia.”

“You know this library?” Yixing asks when he climbs up the stairs followed by the others.

Kyungsoo looks at Yixing with wide eyes. “Of course, I do. This looks like the library I was telling you about on Artio. The one I found when I was little and the one Jongin could open as well.”

Yixing nods and stares out to the floor.

“I’m assuming this,” he begins. “This isn’t a circle. A circle is perfectly round and this isn’t. There are sides to this room. Ten sides to be exact and there are ten planets. Each side represents the planets and each side can show the status of any tree.

“When Jongin and Kyungsoo touched the wall in Artio, that side lit up,” he points to one of the sides on the right. “A couple of seconds later, that wall lit up.” he points to side a couple spaces away. “I didn’t know what was going on but the name ‘Ohri’ came up and it’s the name of the Artio’s tree and when I walked to the other area, the name ‘Sariel’ came up.”

“Sariel is the name of the tree on Mielikki,” Jongin cuts in. “This library is connected to the other Gem Libraries on the other planets. This room is the key to finding the other trees, isn’t?”

Kyungsoo looks to the others and watches as their faces show surprise and shock. He wants to fight a smile but instead, he keeps his mouth shut and continues to look at the others.

Junmyeon looks in between disbelief and confusion. “How did you know which section belonged to you?” he asks jumping off Liajeng’s back.

“We didn’t,” Jongin says. “It just came to me which bookcases to walk between.”

Junmyeon doesn’t say anything as he walks through two bookcases, his eyes trained in front of him. “There’s something there,” he says. “Something in front of me. I see…” Junmyeon trails off and continues to walk. When he reaches the wall, he places his hand on it and the whole room buzzes and a shot of blue light go towards the picture of Mama and two other trees.

Just as the shot of blue light travels, Kyungsoo feels something warm against his back. His mind clicks. Quickly, he takes off his bag and grabs the box holding his armband. The green light is fading causing Kyungsoo to look up and to the others. They stare at Kyungsoo, Jongin, and surprisingly Baekhyun who’s touching the choker around his next.

“What?” Yixing says. “What’s going on?”

Kyungsoo looks back at the armband in his hand. He stares at the now black gem. “It happened when Jongin and I touched the wall in Artio. When someone touches the wall with their tree, those who already touched the wall will have their gem light up.” He looks up at Baekhyun. “Since Baekhyun’s from Geb and Gebines already know about Eurielle, the previous owner of the Gem of Light must have taken Baekhyun to the Gebine Gem Library and had him touch his portion of the wall.”

Junmyeon drops his hand and turns around to face the others. His mouth is open and his face slightly pale.

“Keltar,” he says. “His name is Keltar.”

Silence follows through the library.

“There’s a Life Tree on Sinann and his name is Keltar,” Junmyeon says again. “He’s beginning to feel something in the air because I felt it too. What was it?”

Kyungsoo crosses his arms over his chest. “Jongin’s right. We need to use this library and the one on Artio to locate the other trees. It’s the only way we can know what’s happening for sure.”

The other Gems don’t hesitate as they leave Jongin, Kyungsoo, and Yixing by themselves looking down. They follow their paths towards their section of the wall and soon enough various colors shoot when their fingers touch the wall. Not long after, the actual gems begin lighting up. Kyungsoo turns to Yixing.

“You’re not going to look?” he asks and the Piiot nods.

“I’m just amazed,” he says. “I never knew what these walls meant because I never spent too much time in this library. I’m wondering if I did, then would we have made the discovery about the other trees a lot earlier than we have? Could we have prevented them from whatever their fate is?”

Kyungsoo shrugs. “I don’t know. I really don’t. It might have happened even when we found the trees a long time ago but this gives us something. This gives us the chance to find our system’s hidden pasts. Stories and legends long forgotten.”

Yixing stares at Kyungsoo, his heterochromic eyes almost hypnotizing before he stalks off and takes the last path towards his tree. Kyungsoo watches as a small pink light shoots out from Yixing’s touch and into the middle where Zitao stands by himself. Everyone’s gem lights up once more aside from Zitao’s, Kris’s, and Sehun’s.

“It ain’t workin’ for us,” Sehun says. “What are we doing wrong?”

“Both of you try touching it,” Yixing says before turning his attention back to his portion of the wall. “There are two of you from Aether maybe it needs both of your touches.”

Sehun and Kris turn back to their wall and touch it at the same time. Lights of silver and rose gold shoot from both of their touches, followed by the lighting of the gems before the library falls silent.

“This is amazing,” Jongin says standing next to Kyungsoo. “We’re getting a step closer to location all the Life Trees.”

Kyungsoo looks at Jongin. “Right? We went to believing in three trees to believing in ten. This is amazing on its own.”

Jongin hums and Kyungsoo smiles at the silly things they’re saying. He’s comfortable standing here with Jongin watching as the others stand frozen in shock.

“Kyungsoo,” Jongin calls out. “This might be a bad time…” he trails off and Kyungsoo blinks. He feels his heartbeat going faster than normal.

Maybe it’s coming.

“But I want to tell you something. It’s just you standing here and watching the others with the memory of last night might have given me a little courage. Soo, let’s go out on a-”

“Qhuinn!” Chanyeol shouts. “Her name is Qhuinn and she feels nothing now.”

Jongin’s face flushes when his mouth clamps shut. Kyungsoo stares at him with wide eye before shooting daggers at Chanyeol. It was here and now it’s gone. Chanyeol had to ruin the moment.

Kyungsoo’s not the only one upset though, Baekhyun and Sehun are too. They’re standing side by side glaring at the Ravic native.

“Damn it Chanyeol!” Baekhyun shouts. “You ruined the moment!”

Chanyeol looks confused before his red skin seems even redder than before. He looks to the ground and shoots Jongin an apologetic smile.

Kyungsoo shoots daggers at the other two before they turn away and begin talking amongst themselves. He turns back to Jongin with a smile.

“You were saying?”

Jongin shakes his head and covers his face, the tips of his ears turning the pretty shade of red Kyungsoo likes. “Nothing,” he mumbles so low Kyungsoo almost didn’t hear him. “It’s nothing.”

Kyungsoo huffs and thinks of the famous Artioian saying. Good things come for those who wait.

Kyungsoo sighs. He’s waited a long time for Jongin to utter the words he’s been wanting to hear and if he’s not going to hear them again, he’ll be damned.

Whatever.

“A date?” Kyungsoo asks.

Jongin’s ears turn even redder before he nods. Kyungsoo smiles brightly.

“You are right,” he says. “It’s not really the time for this but I can’t help it. I’ve been waiting a long time for this question and I’m not about to let it go. Yes, Jongin of Mielikki, I would like to go on a date with you.”

Kyungsoo’s hands feel sweaty as he says the response he’s been wanting to say for a while. His heart feels like it’s about to flop out of his chest. Jongin looks up in surprise.

“You would?”

The smile on Kyungsoo’s face feels like a fond one and he leans down and presses a gentle kiss against Jongin’s forehead. “You’re an idiot,” is all he says before grabbing Jongin’s wrist and yanking him down the stairs.

Baekhyun and Sehun are grinning like idiots making Kyungsoo want to slap their grins off their faces but Kyungsoo is sure he’s grinning like an idiot as well.

Kyungsoo can tell no one wants to ruin the moment but there’s still things to be done. Zitao is the one who clears his throat with a stupid smile on his face.

“First,” he says. “It’s about damn time. You two have been dancing around each other a lot longer than it took for Baekhyun and Minseok to get married.” Baekhyun gasps. “Don’t think we didn’t notice the marriage tattoos, Baekhyun. You are from Geb and Gebines are known for their tattoos.”

Baekhyun sticks out his tongue. “Whatever,” he huffs crossing his arms over his chest which causes Minseok to smile.

“Second,” Zitao continues. “What do I touch? I’m from neither the Vanir or the Aesir planets since I’m from Hestia. Our tree is Mama and she’s been lost for centuries.”

Kyungsoo looks down at their feet to the mural of Mama on the ground. If the others touched the walls to see where their trees were, wouldn’t it make sense for a Hestian to touch the ground? Kyungsoo points to their feet.

“Touch the ground,” he says. “Maybe?”

Zitao looks at Kyungsoo, his eyes shifting colors like Luhan’s lines. Squatting down, Zitao reaches out and touches the base of Mama’s tree. Small white light circles around Zitao’s hand before it’s gone but Zitao doesn’t move.

Much like the other trees in perfect script above are the names of the trees. Above the tree, with gold leaves, the name ‘Igon’ appears and above the tree with silver leaves ‘Maian’ appears. Above the tree with silver and gold leaves, the tree known as Mama, the name ‘Ahri’ appears.

Warmth fills the room as colored light fills the room. The armband in Kyungsoo’s hand shines green and Jongin’s necklace shines purple once more just as a rainbow of colors shine from the middle of the room.

Zitao opens his mouth to say something when he removes his hand from the floor but nothing comes out.

Instead, there’s a loud sound echoing throughout the castle.

“Where?” Junmyeon asks. “Where is the sound coming from?”

There’s a small scream coming from outside the library causing everyone to run. Kris mounts Liajeng and they leave before anyone can make it across the doorway.

Kyungsoo follows the sound of Liajeng’s wings. The castle walls blur passed him the faster he runs causing him to be the first person on the ground to reach the Main Hall. Liajeng stands in the middle, his massive frame taking the entire area, with a low growl in his throat.

He moves to an area where he can see properly and he stops once he sees what Liajeng is growling out. What used to be a wall is a long corridor with a light shining at the end. Kris has already unmounted his dragon and stands in front of Kyungsoo, his tall form frozen.

“What?” Jongin says standing next to Kyungsoo.

“What is that?” Junmyeon asks.

“There’s only one way to find out,” Kyungsoo says after a long pause. He takes a step towards the corridor. “It has to be connected to Mama,” he says as he passes Liajeng who calmed down and began walking after Kyungsoo and Jongin. There’s a light flap from above. Mija. “Because it came when Zitao touched Mama’s picture.”

“It must lead to Mama,” Jongdae says. “It has to.”

“Again, Mama has been missing for centuries,” Zitao says. “How can this possibly lead to Mama?”

“Well you never know,” comes Minseok reply.

With a step in the corridor, the air around the twelve Gems becomes warmer than usual. Distinct colors shine from their gems, proving the unknown corridor leads to the first Life Tree.

The moment Kyungsoo steps into the corridor, unseen torches go off and the gem’s light fades a little. They begin to walk.

“This is like the stairwell leading to the library in Artio,” Jongin says. “Magic light.”

Kyungsoo can’t help the little chuckle coming out of his mouth.

Like the rest of the castle, the corridor is simple stone but the stone looks older than the rest of walls. They look like they could fall apart with the cement being the only thing holding them together. Much like his room, the missing wall turns into a meadow Kyungsoo has never seen before. The grass is almost greener in this area but not quite. The difference comes from the patches of black are seen throughout the meadow and some rotting on the castle walls. Kyungsoo frowns at this.

“If this is supposed to be way going to Mama,” Jongdae begins. “Then why does it look like it’s dying?”

Kyungsoo opens his mouth but the scenery changes again. Instead of blank walls, they start showing different banners of all sorts of colors. It’s not until Baekhyun points the worldly colors of his planet does Kyungsoo realize what they are.

He stops and stands in front of a banner with Artio’s World Council colors, purple, and gold, and instead of having a fighting bear in the center, there’s a large tree with white leaves.

“These are the Life Tree banners,” Kyungsoo whispers before saying the same thing out loud.

Before anyone can answer, there’s a soft giggle causing everyone to freeze. Kyungsoo looks around and sees a flash of gold before following it.

“Kyungsoo?” Jongin questions.

Kyungsoo makes a soft noise of recognition at the back of his throat.

“Soo?” Jongin calls out again. “Kyungsoo wait.”

The Artioian stops and waits for the other man to catch up. They walk side by side Jongin knows Kyungsoo isn’t going to speak since his eyes are trained in front of him, assessing what he just saw.

The light outside begins to dim with purples and pinks filling it. There’s a soft breeze which touches the group. Jongin’s hair gets ruffled in the breeze. Kyungsoo notices this and pats his down only to hear a snorting sound coming from behind them.

“Y’all make me sick,” comes Sehun’s voice. “Like really sick. Why aren’t y’all a couple yet? I know Jonginnie just ask you out but still. Y’all already act like a couple.”

Both men barely glance over their shoulders, Kyungsoo’s eyes speaking great lengths on how he forgot about them. Sehun’s hooks an arm over Jongin’s shoulder.

“Sehun stop teasing them,” comes Zitao’s voice. “We’re the same way.”

“We ain’t that bad though.”

“You two are pretty bad,” Chanyeol says. “If I remember correctly, I believe you two are the worse out of everyone. Just saying.”

Sehun huffs and Kyungsoo smiles. “We ain’t that bad,” he says again. “It’s Minseok and Baekhyun that are bad. Maybe Junmyeon and Kris.”

Chanyeol rolls his eyes. “Uh huh.”

“This walk seems endless,” Junmyeon says cutting off Sehun’s and Chanyeol’s argument. “I hadn’t realized how long the Castle of Gems could be.”

There’s the giggle again and Kyungsoo stops in the middle forcing everyone to stop with him.

“Kyungsoo?” Jongin and Kris call out. “Is everything okay?”

“You don’t hear it?” he asks. “A child’s giggle?”

Everyone turns silent and looks at Kyungsoo. Just as he opens his mouth to say something, the giggle appears again.

“It’s there again,” he whispers.

Another giggle.

There’s a flash in Zitao’s eyes as he brushes past Sehun before latching onto Kyungsoo’s wrist, pulling him with him as he hurried forward. They both miss the gasps and the hurried footsteps as they walk faster than they have before.

“There’s a legend,” Zitao starts.

“What’s the legend?” Kyungsoo asks.

Zitao ignores him and continues to walk.

“Zitao.”

“She’s not going to like this but if legend comes to truth, then we have another war on our hands. We have something else entirely.”

Zitao!” Kyungsoo shouts causing the said male to stop and look at Kyungsoo.

“I should have known,” Zitao says before pulling him once again but this time they’re running.

“Damnit Zitao! What’s going on?”

Zitao says nothing, his eyes changing colors with his emotions. Kyungsoo holds in some gasps. While he knows about Hestian eyes, he’s never seen them look like this. Every color passes through Zitao’s eyes as if he’s trying to figure out the best way of figuring something out. He’s at a loss of what to do.

Before Kyungsoo can even open his mouth to ask a question or really to breathe, Zitao stops running in the middle of the now closed off corridor before his eyes settle on one color.

Green.

“I’m sorry,” Zitao says and Kyungsoo nods noting they had lost the others further back. It’s faint but Kyungsoo can hear their hurried footsteps.

There’s another giggle which causes Kyungsoo to realize they’re not alone.

His eyes look before him and he sees a child, a little girl.

Her hair is chestnut brown and in different lengths. Ears are thin and pointed like a Mielikkian’s. Skin paler than Minseok’s. Two gold teardrop tattoos are above her brow bone but towards the middle of her forehead. She wears a leafy crown on her head and holds a pulsing orb in her hands.

But Kyungsoo can’t stop staring.

Her eyes.

They’re golder than anything he’s seen before.

She smiles when she notices Kyungsoo staring before letting out a small giggle.

Things begin to click quick.

He was ever apologizing to him but to the girl. The girl is the reason for the childlike giggling but his answers leave him with more questions.

Who is she?

Kyungsoo opens his mouth but the rest of the group comes thundering in like a herd of stampeding wildebeests.

“You have come,” she says, her voice soft. “We have been waiting for you, our dear Gems.” She turns and walks further down the corridor. Zitao follows, still dragging Kyungsoo with him.

They reach the end of the hall where a lone door stands in the middle of the wall. It looks like all the other doors in the castle, wood with a couple of metal hinges but instead of the wood being blank, there’s a large picture of a tree burned onto it.

Mama.

“I’m sorry,” Zitao says again as their gems glow brighter. “If only I listened to the stories.”

The girl smiles softly. “We know,” she says. “You, Zitao, only believe what you can see. Perhaps it’s your greatest strength and your greatest weakness. Nonetheless, you have brought them here.”

“Zitao,” Kyungsoo says. “Who is she?”

The girl tilts her head to the side as if watching Kyungsoo for the first time. She says nothing as if she’s waiting for Zitao to speak.

“I have a story to tell you,” he says instead of answering Kyungsoo’s question and turns to the little girl. “If you have anything to add, your grace, please do so.”

The girl nods and motions for Zitao to begin. Before he can, however, the light shining from Kyungsoo’s gem goes out and she stares, her gold eyes fixated at the armband in Kyungsoo’s hand. She looks away and again motions for Zitao to continue.

“This is the story of someone named Ahri,” he says glancing at the girl in worry. Zitao shuts his mouth for a moment before opening it and beginning his story once again.

“Ahri was a woman from a planet called Earth and she was the kindest woman anyone had ever met. It is told when she was younger, Ahri had wanted to travel beyond her system to explore and learn new things about the universe. So, she left Earth.

“She left Earth under the premise she was going to explore new worlds, get to know people from different systems, and know the people of Earth aren’t the only ones in the universe. But the people she was traveling with didn’t want the same. They wanted to find a way to bring back their dying planet. They traveled far and wide using Ahri's exploration as a guise of their greedy deeds but when Ahri got wind of what was really happening, everything changed.

“Ahri’s ship was attacked by space pirates and she was sent far away from her ship. Somehow, she ended up here on Hestia where everything was similar but different. She was excited to know how many unfamiliar cultures and languages were thriving in our corner of the universe.

“She respected every culture she came across and listened carefully to the stories every story she heard. Just by the look in her eyes, everyone could tell Ahri was slowly falling in love with our system. Because of her love for Ma’at, she told us her story. She told us about the people from Earth and how dumb they thought her to be because she pretended not to know what they were doing. Because of this, she would lead the other humans to horrible planets and systems. But with her in Ma’at, she knew sooner or later she would be leading our people to death.

“The Hestian Elders began to panic and shun Ahri from every planet but there were twelve people who stood and protected her. These twelve listened she pleaded Ma’at needed to protect itself from her people. They helped her create shelters, harvest food for areas she believed would be war zones. Ahri began to protect Ma’at like it was Earth’s Solar System.

“The more she began to protect Ma’at, the more people began to follow her. Soon enough planets were following Ahri’s words in creating militaries to protect their planets, shelters for potential war zones, and preparing for the worst.”

Zitao pauses and looks at the small child. Her eyes are downcast and her expression is grim like she had something to with what happened many years ago. Occasionally, she would look at the gem in Kyungsoo’s hand before looking away when he caught her staring.

“The people from Earth did come a few years later and chaos erupted,” Zitao continues after a minute. “Many people were killed fighting for their homes and the entire time, Ahri blamed herself for all of the death and destruction but she fought with us. She lead the people of Ma’at to victories and defeats. To death and to life until she couldn't fight anymore. The war lasted three years until the abrupt end.

“Ahri’s death was the end of the war. She died the Battle of the Hearth protecting Hestian children and elders. Maybe it was because of Ahri’s protection did the humans step away but no one really knows. Three days after her death, the humans were gone and we won the war in protecting our system. Yes, it came at a great cost, but we could save what was ours.

“No one blamed Ahri for bringing the humans to Ma’at because they began to believe the humans would have found our system and began a war lasting longer than the one this had. However, while no one blamed Ahri for bringing the humans to Ma’at, no one talked about the things she did. People were still afraid the humans would come back and there was no Ahri to protect them.

“This caused an outrage in Hestia, claiming Ahri was a protector and her legacy would live on. One elder wanted Ahri to be a hero in protecting their home. For years people fought verbally with each other but no agreement was reached.

“At least until a child made her way into one of the villages with bright gold eyes and a soft smile like Ahri’s.”

Kyungsoo looks to the small child who looks a little smug but he’s still confused. Who is this little girl?

“She introduces herself as Mihi,” Zitao continues knowing he lost Kyungsoo for a second. “And claimed she was a child of Ahri’s. Of course, this shocked the people because no one knew Ahri had a lover, let alone a child. What confused them the most was the way Mihi looked because she looks nothing like Ahri or the people of Ma’at.

“Mihi grabbed an elder’s hand and took them to a hilltop where a tree was growing. It was small, still growing to its full height but there was a sense of comfort and familiarity. Mihi only smiled and claimed this tree was sprouted because of Ahri’s protection and love for Ma’at.

“No one believed her until Mihi walked into the tree only to come out with twelve gems. She said each of the gems represented the original twelve who stood with her before the humans came. These gems would grant a person with a pure heart powers which would help do the things she couldn’t. Mihi threw the gems in the air and they traveled to those with pure hearts.

“Ahri’s tree become a popular place for people to visit with Mihi standing as guard. It’s not until Mihi began calling Ahri’s Tree, Mama, did the name stick.”

Zitao stops talking and looks at the little girl who has a small smile on her face as if remembering something of the past.

Oh.

It takes Kyungsoo a moment to realize who the little girl standing in front of them is. He doesn’t gasp in shock but instead inclines his to her.

“What Zitao says is correct but there’s more to the story,” the little girl says. “A lot more and this is part of the story all of you should be listening to very carefully because now it will be yours.”

She looks at every single one of them with a look of hope in her gold eyes before it's gone. In its place, her expression is hard as the orb in her hands glows a little more.

“A couple years after Mama’s tree came to place, Ma’at was attacked once more but not from the people of Earth but from another system,” Mihi says. “These people do not have a name but they are greedier than humans ever were. While yes, they wanted the same thing the humans wanted only this time we did not the resources or the right person to lessen the blow. These people are known as the Red Force or the Reds and they will do everything in their power to obtain life for their dead system.

“War began. Countless of deaths happened every day but Mama’s tree remained and people went to her to pray. The Original Gems fought with their planets, trying to keep Mama’s will strong. Some people listened, others did not.

“When the Red’s came to know about Mama’s tree chaos erupted. Mama is the perfect source of power and life. They would need her to bring back a system too far gone. Hestia became a war zone and an ugly one. It became apparent the planet was in the beginning stages of dying. The once beautiful landscape was covered in bodies, trees were burnt to the ground, meadows had nothing but ripped out plants and ugly battle scars. Hestia was in ruins.

“And then Mama went to work. Before Mama’s death, she promised she would always protect the system of Ma’at because it became her second home and a place she loved. She restored Hestia the best she could but she also sent me to collect the gems and bring them back. She gave them missions to protect Ma’at and the legend of the Gems was created.

“The Original Gems pushed away the Reds and once again Ma’at was saved but in more ruins than before. The Gems had no idea how to restore the planets back to their original forms causing panic across all eleven planets.”

Mihi pauses as if trying to remember what happened next. Her orbs dimmed a little causing the little girl to stand up straighter.

“Mama knew a solution,” she continues, “but it would cost the Gems their lives. She allowed them to make a choice. Hestia already had a tree but the other planets did not. They had a choice to give up their Gems and become Life Trees for their planets or let their planets die. It was a unanimous decision for the Gems, they would help sustain life to their planets. Ten out of the twelve became the Life Trees of their planets while the last two created homes and this castle. When their time came, they also became Life Trees but stayed here on Hestia where they protect Mama and Ma’at.”

Mihi is quiet for a second, watching the expressions of everyone around her. She smiles when she sees their attention on her.

“Now the Reds are coming back and I worry there will be a bigger war than before. I fear for Mama and Ma’at because I am positive they will destroy both. We must begin preparing to protect our homes.”

Kyungsoo opens his mouth before Mihi cuts him off.

“The trees have begun dying, Kyungsoo. I know this. They’re dying because Mama is dying. If Mama dies, then everything else will. I do not know how to stop Mama from dying and I do not want to find out. I fear the worst for Ma’at.”

Mihi’s smiling face is no more and her orb dims a little more. She turns to Zitao before turning around and going through the door. Zitao follows.

It’s Kyungsoo who pushes open the doors and he’s greeted with the sight of two massive trees. These trees have the same brown bark but their leaves are different. The tree on the right has gold leaves while the tree on the left has silver leaves. Surrounding the base of the trees are too many leaves and Kyungsoo can see the same rotting he’s seen. He sucks in a breath.

Mihi stands in front a tree bowing with Zitao before she walks to the other. It’s only when Kyungsoo stands next to the small girl does he hear the quiet mumblings.

“Please protect Mama and Ma’at the best you can, Igon.”

Something in the back of Kyungsoo’s mind clicks. Igon and Maian. The two names on the floor in the library. Kyungsoo blinks.

“The names of the trees,” he says to Mihi causing the little girl to turn around. “They are the original Gems, aren’t they?”

“Yes,” she says watching Kyungsoo bow to the tree in front of him.

There’s a clattering behind them causing Mihi’s eyes to slide behind Kyungsoo. He follows her gaze and sees the others bowing and whispering words to the Trees, their gems glowing brighter than before while Kyungsoo’s stays eerily dark.

To Kyungsoo, it’s a little strange to see Vanir children bowing the Trees but it helps. Maybe after this supposed war, both the Aesir and Vanir can be one again. Kyungsoo sighs happily at the thought.

A soft touch against Kyungsoo’s hand has him looking back at Mihi who is still smiling before she latches onto his wrist and pulls along. He feels his breath being taken away at the sight of the first Life Tree.

Mama is bigger and far more beautiful than Igon and Maian. With leaves of gold and silver, Mama stands larger than anything Kyungsoo has ever seen. Her roots and branches are Kyungsoo sized while the flowers at her base are almost as big as Kyungsoo’s hand.

Before Kyungsoo can open his mouth to say anything, there’s something warm running through his body. For a second, he believes he’s running a fever but when he looks at his armband in his hand, there’s warmth and green light emitting from it. Before he can touch it, the Gem of Earth flies out of his hand and hovers around Mama’s trunk. He lets out a soft yelp causing everyone to turn to him and watch the floating gem.

“Kyungsoo!” comes Jongin’s shout.

The said male is confused but he can’t take his eyes off his floating gem. He stares at it before it flies into the tree. There’s a cry coming from his lips and his knees feel weak. He begins to feel cold before he drops onto his knees, his eyes never leaving the tree.

_They’re-_

Kyungsoo hears something. Something faint. Something familiar. He’s heard this voice before.

_Kyungsoo._

He’s scared as he continues to look at the spot his gem went into the tree. Kyungsoo opens his mouth to say something but there’s the voice again. Ohri’s voice.

_Kyungsoo. Baekhyun._

Kyungsoo turns to his head to Baekhyun where he’s also on his knees, his eyes fixated in front of him before he turns to Kyungsoo. Baekhyun’s eyes are glowing yellow and his mouth moving before he slumps to the ground.

There’s a rushing sound in Kyungsoo’s ears and he suddenly feels colder. Too cold. Kyungsoo wraps his arms around his body, Baekhyun’s words echoing in his mind. The last thing Kyungsoo hears is what both Ohri’s voice and Baekhyun said.

They’re coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've finally been able to cross-post this from the fantasy fic fest. When I'll upload the second part, I'm currently not too sure for various of reasons. I also have no idea how long this is going to be. So I hope that you enjoyed the first part of my monster!


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